Cedric Potter and the Witch Caster Disease
by LiterateSamwise
Summary: Harry Potter's son Cedric is finally old enough to go to Hogwarts. This promises to be the best year of his life. But a disease is going around killing witches and wizards of nonmagic blood. Can Cedric and his friends save the day? Or will they too die?
1. Potter and Son

Chapter One:  
  
Potter and Son  
  
Harry Potter and his wife, Arella, sat out on the bench on the porch outside their home. It was dark and the stars shun brightly in the sky. If anyone walked by at that moment they would never guess that the Potters were not like every other family on Deferiet Avenue. No one would ever guess that they were keeping a secret from the world. The regular world that is.  
  
Harry and Arella Potter had secrets. Harry, for one, was a wizard and a teacher of witchcraft and wizardry at one of the finest schools around. Another secret was that Arella was a witch. But the secret they were most determined to keep was that their soon to be born son would not be normal. The young Potter would be as magical as they come.  
  
The young couple sat together still gazing at the stars. Harry was the first to look away from the stars. He turned to look at his wife and then to her large belly.  
  
"This baby is coming in three weeks and he still doesn't have a name," Harry told his wife.  
  
"I know that," Arella replied. "And you know we've tried to name him." Which was true. They had in fact tried to think of a name for the baby many times. Yet none of the names seen to fit.  
  
"I know, Arella. I know."  
  
"Have any ideas?" Arella asked.  
  
"I'd like to name him after my father... but not as a first name," Harry said. "Something James Potter."  
  
"How about naming him after Ron?" Arella asked. "Ronald James Potter?"  
  
"No...," Harry said. "No... I don't- Cedric."  
  
"Cedric?" Arella asked. "Cedric James Potter?"  
  
The two of them let the name sit in their minds for a little while. Finally Arella asked, "Where did you come up with Cedric, Harry?"  
  
Harry sighed. "I don't know why I thought of Cedric as a name. But Cedric Diggory was at Hogwarts in my fourth year. He was in a different year and house and we were both Champions for Hogwarts in the Triwizard Tournament. And at the end of it we both went to grab the winning cup. We were transported somewhere. And Voldemort killed Cedric."  
  
Arella flinched at the mention of Voldemort's name. Everyone did even though he had long since been defeated. It was Harry that had finally defeated him. Another secret they kept from their neighbors.  
  
"Well, I like it," Arella said.  
  
"Me too." Harry placed his hand on his wife's stomach. "I hereby name you Cedric James Potter!" Arella smiled. Harry looked to his watch. It was late and Harry needed to get some sleep. He was packed and leaving for Hogwarts to get his lessons and classroom ready for the students. Harry didn't like leaving Arella to the muggle doctors, but he knew that her mother would take care of her and Cedric. Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Ron Weasley and their wives would be there as soon as they got word. Harry would come as soon as he found out that his son had been born but he had a job to do at Hogwarts that required his attention.  
  
The two of them stood up and walked into the house.  
  
  
  
"Harry, dear!" someone called. "Come on know or you'll miss your train!" It was Arella's mother calling him. Harry sat on his trunk to try and get it shut. Arella walked in and snapped the trunk shut.  
  
"Thanks, hun," Harry said. At that moment Arturo, Remus Lupin's owl, flew through the window. "It is Remus's owl." Then it hit him. "The twins!"  
  
Harry took the letter from Arturo's leg and ripped it open. Arella squeezed in close to him to see the letter.  
  
  
  
Dear Harry and Arella,  
  
They're here! Lyndell had numbers 8 and 9  
  
this morning. I'd have gotten word earlier but I sent  
  
Arturo home to tell the others first.  
  
From the looks of it we'll have a few problems.  
  
It seems that the twins have gone both ways. Werewolf  
  
and Elf. That may bring around some problems. But  
  
we're ready for them.  
  
We have named them Kacey Alexandria and  
  
Spock Avenall. Muggles have such interesting television  
  
shows! There was this show 'Star Track' or something  
  
and there was this elf like character named Spock. Me  
  
and Lyndell were inspired!  
  
We expect to hear from you and Arella soon.  
  
And please tell me the poor child has a name!  
  
Remus Lupin  
  
  
  
"Well," Harry said. "We can tell him that 'the poor child' has a name." Arella smiled. Harry handed Arturo a owl treat.  
  
"We're following a trend!" Arella cried.  
  
"What?" Harry asked.  
  
"First Sirius and Lyria had Darione and then Ron and Hermione had Jade," she told him. "Now, Remus and Lyndell have had Spock and Kacey. We're bringing up the rear!"  
  
Harry laughed. "That we are." He looked at the clock. "We'd best go," he said to Arella. "The Hogwarts Express leaves at noon and it is already ten. I don't want to have to fly to the school after your mother put off tea with her friends to drive us."  
  
  
  
Almost two hours later they arrived at Kings Cross Station. Arella's mother waited in the car as Harry and Arella walked into the station. They walked to the barrier and walked casually through it. They stepped onto the platform. The Hogwarts Express stood before them. Other professors were getting all their things on the train.  
  
"I'll miss you, Harry," Arella said with tears beginning to swell in her eyes.  
  
"And I'll miss you," Harry said. "You be sure send owls to Sirius, Remus and Ron as soon as you can. I don't want to be alone when you're having him. And be sure to send one to me!"  
  
Arella took him in a tight hug. "I know, Harry," she whispered in his ear. "I know."  
  
"Let's go Harry!" Professor Sprout called out to him. "Hello there, dear," she shouted happily to Arella.  
  
"I gotta go," Harry said. "I love you."  
  
"I love you too, my famous Harry Potter."  
  
Harry smiled and got on the train.  
  
  
  
The next two weeks passed like all the others. Arella and Harry owled each other everyday. Arella and her mother went shopping and had a room all made up for young Cedric Potter's arrival. The crib was a assembled by a neighbor and was waiting for the child who would sleep in it.  
  
Harry had busily planned his first month's lessons. He had seven years to plan for and two classes per year. Harry loved his job. Teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts was the best job in the world, Harry believed. Except when Gryffindors and Slytherins had it together. Then there were bound to be problems.  
  
It was around midnight on September 2nd when Arella went into labor. Her mother raced her to the hospital. People gave them strange looks when they noticed the four owls flying behind the car. Arella was quickly wheeled up to the maternity ward.  
  
Arella's mother had never used owl post. She took a spiral notebook and scrawled out the same thing on four pieces of paper. They all read:  
  
  
  
Arella is having the baby. Come quick.  
  
  
  
Arella's mother attempted to tie the pieces of paper to the owls' legs. In the end the owls took the papers in their beaks. "Well, I'm *sorry*," she said to the owls, flying out the front door. "I've never used an owl to deliver my mail before!"  
  
  
  
The owls flew on. One flew to the house of Remus and Lyndell Lupin and their lot. An owl arrival was a big thing in the house and all nine children were up at the first hoot. Even Spock and Kacey awoke, sensing the excitement of their siblings. Remus read the note aloud and the whole house cheered. Remus grabbed his broom and headed out the door with a "Give Arella my love!" from Lyndell.  
  
Lyndell herself wouldn't be going to the hospital right away. If an owl was at their house one would soon be at the Weasley house. Lyndell needed to go pick their daughter, Jade, up and bring her to their house. That way he'd be able to watch all of the children and leave Ron and Hermione free of worry.  
  
  
  
Another owl came to the house of Sirius Black and family. Sirius and Lyria were asleep when they heard a tapping at the window. Sirius groaned and mumbled something incoherently. Lyria woke up and looked over to the window. She saw the owl and raced over to the window. Lyria pulled open and the owl flew in. Lyria read it and took a whistle on the bedside table and blew.  
  
Everyone in the house woke up. Darione could be heard crying as Lily carried him down stairs in her arms. Cyrus, the oldest save for 23 year old Athena and her twin Jason, had everyone in the living room - even the youngest children, three month old Darione as well. "Okay people," Sirius said as he was pulling on his muggle clothing. "You all know the drill. Cyrus, keep 'em all in check until your sister gets here."  
  
"I know, I know," the eight year old said. "I will."  
  
Sirius smiled back at him as Lyria got in the car. "Let's go."  
  
  
  
Ronald Weasley was not sleeping well that night. Jade wasn't letting him. He had gotten up to change her at ten. It was now midnight. Ron worked at the ministry, in the Foreign Relations Branch. He had a meeting with Spain and France and he had wanted sleep before the meeting. But Jade wasn't going to let that happen.  
  
Suddenly there was a knocking at the front door. Ron picked up Jade and opened the door. Lyndell stood there with a bag and broom. Right after she arrived, the owl did. Ron woke Hermione up and the two of them left for the hospital. Lyndell muttered a few well chosen words and placed a special kind of leaf on Jade's head. She yawned and then settled into a deep sleep.  
  
Lyndell smiled and picked the baby girl up. With a swish of her cloak, the two of them were gone.  
  
  
  
Sirius and Lyria were the first to get to the hospital. They were greeted by Arella's mother and the three of them sat down to await the arrival of the others... or of Cedric. Which ever came first. Remus and Lyndell arrived before Cedric or Ron and Hermione. The two couples embraced and began to talk in anticipation.  
  
Ron and Hermione arrived at around one o'clock. Hermione was practically dragging the sleep deprived Ron over to the others. Ron sat down and promptly fell asleep. "See," Sirius said. "He has the right idea."  
  
Lyria glared at him. "Don't even think of trying to go to sleep," she told him. "I could go get Darione right now. Then we'd see how well you'd sleep."  
  
Sirius groaned and pulled his eyelids apart. This would be a long night.  
  
  
  
Harry Potter sat at the high table in the Great Hall with all the other teachers. He and the new guy, who had replaced Mr. Binns when he finally passed over to the other side, had become pretty good friends. Harry and Scott Downing, the new yet more experienced teacher, were joking around when the morning mail arrived. Harry looked up as a golden owl landed in front of him.  
  
The owl dropped a piece of paper before him before flying away. Harry opened the paper and read it. He looked to Professor Dumbledore. "Professor, it is Ar-" Dumbledore nodded and Harry pushed his chair back so hard it fell. But he didn't stop to pick it up.  
  
Harry ran to his office and grabbed his broom and invisibility cloak. With his broom in hand and his invisibility cloak on, Harry ran out of the castle. He kicked up off the ground and flew into the night.  
  
  
  
It was six in the morning when someone a doctor came to talk to the group gathered in the waiting room. She had bags under her eyes and whatever she had to tell them seemed to be good news to her. "The baby is coming... now," the doctor said. "She is asking for Harry?"  
  
"He isn't here," Sirius told her. "He is coming as fast as he can, but Harry works at a boarding school that is... pretty far from here."  
  
"Who are you?" the doctor asked.  
  
"I'm Harry's godfather," Sirius replied.  
  
She looked over to Arella's mother. "And you're the mother?"  
  
Arella's mother nodded. "Allison Davis," she told the doctor.  
  
The doctor took a few seconds to think and finally said, "Okay, you two come with me."  
  
Sirius and Allison nodded and followed the doctor into the delivery room.  
  
  
  
In a few minutes, it was all over. The doctors cleaned Cedric up and wrapped him in a blue blanket before handing him to Arella. Allison held her daughter's hand and smiled at the baby. Sirius stood over them with a large smile on his face.  
  
One of the doctors walked over with a grim face. He touched Sirius's shoulder and motioned for him to follow him away from the two women and the baby.  
  
Sirius looked at him. "Yes, doctor?" Sirius asked.  
  
The doctor looked at him with a sad look. "I'm afraid I've got some bad news," he said.  
  
"What?" Sirius asked in alarm. "Is it the baby?"  
  
The doctor sighed. "No," he told Sirius. "It is the mother. She's... she's dying."  
  
"What?" Sirius asked in disbelief.  
  
"She is dying," the doctor repeated. "We had some complications with the birth. She... she doesn't have the rest of the hour. We-we're surprised she even survived the birth."  
  
But Sirius didn't hear this. All the sound around him was gone. He looked over at Arella and Allison and baby Cedric. Sirius kept trying to think of a spell or something, but he couldn't think of one. It took years to learn magical medicine. Sirius couldn't do a thing.  
  
Sirius willed for Harry to hurry and arrive. He walked over to Arella. The same doctor took Allison to the side and spoke softly to her. Sirius knew that she was telling her what was going to happen. When Allison turned back to Sirius and her daughter, there were tears in her eyes. Arella's eyes too held tears. She knew what would happen. Two minutes later... it did.  
  
  
  
Ron was sitting patiently reading a muggle sports magazine. He was fascinated by the odd sports that were in it. Something called basketball and hockey. He chuckled to himself as he read the articles. Hermione shook her head. She knew all about the sports and found it funny that her husband did not.  
  
Remus was out at Ron and Hermione's car taking care of the owls who had returned from their errands. Harry's hadn't returned yet but the other three had and they needed them around to take the news to their other friends and Lyndell.  
  
A few seconds after Remus came back upstairs, Sirius came out of the delivery room. His face was grim, not the cheerful face they had expected to see. "What is it, Sirius?" Hermione asked.  
  
Sirius struggled to find his voice. "Arella... Arella... Arella is dead."  
  
  
  
Harry rushed into the hospital carrying his broom and invisibility cloak. He ran as fast as he could up to the maternity ward. He looked around for a moment and spotted his group. Harry expected them to be happy to see him. But everyone avoided looking at him. Sirius walked over to him and laid his hand on Harry's shoulder.  
  
"Harry... Arella..."  
  
But Harry knew. Sirius didn't have to say anything else. Hermione rushed over and hugged him tight. "I'm so sorry, Harry," she said. Lyria too came over and hugged him.  
  
"W-where is Cedric?" Harry asked, trying to fight back tears.  
  
They walked over to the nursery window. Laying in a bed directly in front of the window was a baby. The tag on the bed read: "It's a boy! Cedric James Potter." At that moment, Allison spotted Harry. She ran over and hugged him. She cried as he held her in an embrace.  
  
"Mom..." was all Harry could get out.  
  
After a few minutes Allison let go of her son-in-law. They looked into the nursery window at the baby. One of the nurse noticed them and pointed at the baby. Remus nodded and the nurse brought Cedric out to them. Harry walked over to her and took his son in his arms. And then he cried. 


	2. Visitors

Chapter Two:  
  
Visitors  
  
The sun peeked through the curtains and landed on the young boy's face. Cedric Potter groaned and rolled over. He lay still for a moment and then reluctantly opened his eyes. He'd been having a good dream. He had dreamt that he was finally going to Hogwarts. Then it came to him. He really *was* finally going to Hogwarts. Cedric had never been to the real Hogwarts. But he had seen pictures of it in Hogwarts, A History. And from the way his father described it, Cedric couldn't wait to start going there in September.  
  
Cedric sat on the edge of his bed and yawned. Then he pulled on his jeans and a shirt before walking downstairs. Hedwig was hooting from the living room and Cedric went in to see her. He handed her an owl treat and she nipped at his ear affectionately. Cedric smiled.  
  
"That you son?" Harry Potter asked from the kitchen.  
  
Cedric turned his head toward the kitchen and the aroma of bacon and eggs caught his nose. He walked into the kitchen. "Yeah," he answered. "It's me."  
  
Harry smiled at his son. "Sit down," he told Cedric. "Gamma is over at Mrs. Rudington's house. Poor old lady fell down her front stairs this morning."  
  
"And Gamma trusted you to cook?" Cedric asked looking at the eggs and bacon. For some reason the eggs were blue and the bacon was a purplish red color. It looked like he attempted to cook them magically and had failed.  
  
"I can cook! I just haven't in a while..." Harry looked down at the food. "But I think I see you're point... Er... how does cereal sound?"  
  
Cedric smiled. "Fine by me."  
  
Harry scrapped the eggs and bacon into the trash can and took some cereal out of the cupboard. Cedric got the bowls and milk. After filling their bowls with cereal and milk they sat down to eat. As they were eating, an owl flew through the kitchen window.  
  
"Hey, Valentino," Harry addressed the owl. Valentino hooted back to Harry happily and landed on the orange juice mug. Harry leaned forward and untied the letter. It read:  
  
  
  
Dear Harry,  
  
Hey Harry! How are you these  
  
days? You haven't owled us in weeks!  
  
We were beginning to worry!  
  
I was wondering what you would  
  
say if I came over with the kids. They're  
  
getting bored having only the Muggles down  
  
the road to play with. And Hermione needs  
  
some peace and quiet. It has been rough  
  
at the office the past couple of days. That  
  
mass usage of magic in front of the Muggles  
  
in that was in the papers... What do you say?  
  
Your Best Friend,  
  
Ron  
  
  
  
"What is that, Dad?" Cedric asked.  
  
"A letter from Ron," Harry responded. "He was thinking of bringing the kids over today. What do you say?"  
  
"Jade?" Cedric asked excitedly.  
  
"Everyone from what I understand," Harry replied. "So I take it that it is okay with you?"  
  
"Yeah!" Cedric exclaimed. Cedric always looked forward to an interaction with the wizarding world. His father worked at Hogwarts all year except for a month and a half during the summers and holidays. He had very few magical encounters. But Jade Weasley and her siblings lived in the wizarding world all the time and the two of them would talk for hours exchanging information about their worlds.  
  
Jade Weasley and her family were almost the only wizards and witches he knew. Cedric knew Sirius and Lyria. He also knew that they had children, even one his age. The two boys used to play together when they were younger, or so Cedric was told. It was the same with Remus and Lyndell. They came to visit every summer but usually alone, never bringing any of their kids except the one time Lyndell had brought Remus Parker. But that had been about three years ago.  
  
Harry left the table and came back with a piece of parchment and a quill. He wrote a note to Ron telling him he could bring the kids over.  
  
  
  
Ron,  
  
No need to worry about  
  
me. Go ahead and come over any  
  
time. Cedric's grandmother isn't  
  
home so it doesn't matter if you  
  
come over. Can't wait to see you.  
  
Give Hermione my love.  
  
Harry  
  
  
  
Harry tied the piece of parchment to Valentino's leg. The owl hooted and flew out the window. Harry pushed his chair back from the table. "Come on," Harry told Cedric. "They'll becoming by floo powder and your grandmother will kill us if we get soot all over her living room.  
  
"Floo powder?" Cedric wondered. He followed his father out into the living room. Harry was pushing the couch away from the fireplace. Cedric walked over and helped him. Then they moved the coffee table and chairs back several feet from the fireplace. When this was all done, Harry took out his wand and muttered a few well chosen words. Cedric wasn't sure what the spell did but was amazed none the less.  
  
Harry sat down on the couch and began looking at his newspaper. Cedric looked at the front page. "Minister of Magic Loses It" was the headline.  
  
"Dad?" Cedric said. "What is a minister of magic?"  
  
"Not *a*," Harry said. "*The* Minister of Magic."  
  
"What did he lose?" Cedric asked his father.  
  
"His mind from the article says," Harry told his son. "I'm not surprised either. The past few years have been extremely hard for the Ministry. Magic folk using magic in front of Muggles all over the world at an alarming rate. Enough to drive anyone batty. That is part of the reason Ron and the kids are coming over. Give Hermione a break."  
  
"But I thought they both worked at the same place," Cedric said. "Wouldn't he need a break too?"  
  
"I imagine he would," Harry laughed. "But Ron is on vacation."  
  
"Oh," Cedric responded.  
  
The two of them sat in silence for what Cedric guessed was a half hour. Hedwig had flown over to the chair Cedric was sitting in and he had stroked her feathers for the entire time. Suddenly the flames in the fire turned green. Cedric jumped in surprise. He scared Hedwig when he jumped and she flew away with a loud squawk.  
  
Harry laughed. "It is okay, son," he said to Cedric. "That is only the floo pow-" He was broken off as Albus Weasley fell out of the fire. Harry helped the seven year old up. "Okay there, Aaron?" he asked him.  
  
"I'm Albus!" the boy yelled with a smile.  
  
Another boy, identical to the last, fell through the fire a second later. "Aaron!" Harry exclaimed. "How are you my boy?"  
  
"I'm okay, Uncle Harry," the young boy replied.  
  
Cedric watched as a young girl came through the fire. She was the same age as the two boys and looked like them as well. "Hey Annie," Cedric said in greeting.  
  
"Hi, Cedric!" Annie said in a high voice. "Jade is coming next."  
  
Cedric waited in anticipation for his friend to arrive. A moment later a girl with bushy, flame-red hair walked out of the fire. "Jade!" Cedric exclaimed.  
  
"Cedric!" Jade yelled and ran over to him. The two of them embraced. It had been more than a year since the two of them had seen each other. "It is so great to see you!"  
  
"Whoa!" someone yelled. Everyone looked at the fireplace to see five year old Carys Weasley sprawled out on the floor. Jade ran over and picked him up on the floor. "Are you okay Carys?"  
  
Carys nodded. "That was so cool!" he exclaimed. "I can't wait to go home that way!"  
  
Harry, the triplets and Jade all laughed. Ron walked out of the fire to see everyone laughing. "What is so funny?"  
  
  
  
Harry and Ron went into the kitchen to talk. Annie, Albus, Aaron, and Carys easily occupied themselves in the attic. Up in the attic were all of Cedric's old toys from when he was young. He never went up there himself, but when ever Ron and his kids came over the younger four children always went up there to play. Cedric and Jade went into the backyard.  
  
"I can't believe we're finally going to Hogwarts!" Jade exclaimed once they were out of the house.  
  
"I know!" Cedric joined in. "I finally get to join my world! I get to finally learn magic!"  
  
"Hey, Cedric," Jade said sitting down on the back deck. "Look at these." Jade pulled out a couple of books from her bag. One was Quidditch Through the Ages: New Edition and the other was Spells Bound: a Book of Spells.  
  
"Wow!" Cedric said as he sat down beside her. He looked at the cover of Quidditch through the ages. One of the players in the cover art moved! Then another. Cedric looked down fascinated at the moving players.  
  
"Haven't you ever seen wizard pictures?" Jade asked.  
  
"Well, yeah, but I didn't know book covers moved too," Cedric said still watching the players fly around the book cover.  
  
Jade looked over and saw Cedric's fascination at the moving players. "Open the book, Ced," she said. Cedric opened the book and was awed by the hundreds of moving pictures. Cedric knew about Quidditch. That was one of the things about the wizarding world that he knew of. He'd even been to a couple of games with his father.  
  
"Whatcha looking at there, Cedric?" someone asked  
  
.  
  
Cedric and Jade both jumped and Cedric slammed the book shut. The two of them turned around to see a boy a little younger than them standing on the deck behind them. "Your dad said you was out here," he said.  
  
"You scared the lights out of us Brandon!" Cedric yelled. "Don't do that."  
  
"Sorry," the boy said hanging his head.  
  
"It-it's okay, Brandon," Cedric said. "Jade, this is Brandon Hagenbeck. Brandon, this is Jade Weasley."  
  
"Hi!" Brandon yelled reaching out to shake Jade's hand. Jade shook his hand and Brandon's attention was redirected. "So whatcha looking at?"  
  
Jade shoved the books into her bag. "Nothing," she said. "Just some old books." Jade looked over at Cedric. "Why don't we go play with Carys and the-"  
  
She was cut off as Carys and the triplets ran out of the house screaming and laughing. Albus ran towards them and touched Jade. "Tag!" he shouted. "You're it!" Then he ran off into the large backyard with the others.  
  
"Looks like you're it!" Brandon said and dragged Cedric out into the yard. Jade ran after them. The seven children ran around the backyard for hours. They played tag and hide-and-seek and an asortment of games. Around noon Brandon's mother called him for lunch. They all waved goodbye and they too went inside.  
  
"Jenson is at St. Mungo's," Ron said in the kitchen. Cedric motioned for everyone to be quiet.  
  
"Jenson... I liked him. Best Minster there has been in years," Harry said.  
  
"I know... I know... the Ministry is staging an election," Ron told Harry. "Only they need people to run and... Harry, Hermione didn't need peace and quiet. She is going to run in the election."  
  
"Really, Dad?" Jade asked as they all walked into the kitchen.  
  
"Mom's gonna be Minister?" the triplets asked all at the same time.  
  
Ron groaned. "No... well, maybe... she is going to try to," Ron stammered. "You weren't supposed to know, yet. So don't tell your mother I told you." Cedric heard him say very softly, "Hermione is going to kill me..."  
  
Harry laughed and turned to the kids. "You guys hungry?"  
  
  
  
Everyone ate sandwiches for lunch courtisey of Harry Potter. After everyone had eaten, the triplets and Carys went to get Brandon. The five of them continued playing in the backyard. They soon forgot all about Jade and Cedric and didn't bother them. That left Jade and Cedric alone to look at the books again.  
  
"Can you do any of these spells?" Cedric asked Jade.  
  
"No, you need to have some training to be able to do those spells," Jade told him. "Probably why mum let me bring that one and not Spells Bound for Beginners. We could probably do those spells."  
  
Cedric looked skeptically at Jade. "I doubt it," he said then looked back at the Quidditch book. He was so amazed by the pictures and stories in it. "Can you fly?" he asked Jade.  
  
"Of course I can!" she shouted. "Dad taught me to fly when I was three years old."  
  
Cedric looked sadly down at the moving pictures. "I wish I could fly..."  
  
  
  
It was around three o'clock when Ron called for everyone to come in. "Let's go people!" Ron shouted. "We have to get home and wash up. Mum'll have dinner started."  
  
The Weasleys all said goodbye to Brandon. Cedric carried Jade's books in the house for her. They all walked over to the fireplace. The triplets went first and then Carys. Cedric handed Jade her books. "Know what Cedric? Here," she said as she handed him Quidditch Through the Ages. "You keep this one."  
  
"Really?" Cedric asked. Jade nodded. "Wow! Thanks!"  
  
Jade smiled and through her floo powder into the flames. Then she was gone.  
  
"I'll see you two later," Ron said to Harry and Cedric and then he too left through the fire.  
  
Harry looked over at the book Cedric held. "What is that, son?" he asked.  
  
"Quidditch Through the Ages," Cedric told him. "The New Edition."  
  
Harry smiled. "Remember that game in Scotland we went to....." Harry and Cedric went into the kitchen and talked all about Quidditch until Allison came home. They ate a good, muggle cooked dinner which was a relief for both of them.  
  
It was around nine when Harry finally made Cedric stop reading and go to bed. Cedric said good night to his father and grandmother and walked upstairs. But he didn't go to sleep. He continued reading well into the next day. 


	3. The Alley

Chapter Three:  
  
The Alley  
  
Cedric slept in the next day. He was still very tired from reading his new book and looking at the pictures. It was around eleven o'clock in the morning when he finally awoke and that was only because his father was calling for him to wake up. Cedric got up and got dressed and walked down stairs.  
  
"Good morning," Harry said. "Ready for lunch?"  
  
"Lunch?" Cedric asked not knowing how much he had slept it.  
  
"Son, it's eleven," Harry told him. He went back to the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches he was making. "Gamma is back over at Mrs. Rudington's again. Oh! I almost forgot. You got a letter."  
  
"Yeah?" Cedric asked. He was somewhat shocked. Who would write to him? Harry picked a letter off of the counter and handed it to Cedric. It was in an envelope made of thin parchment with green ink on it. Cedric took the letter and stared down at it in wonder.  
  
  
  
Mr. C. Potter  
  
Third Bedroom, Second Floor  
  
31 Deferiet Avenue  
  
Aldershot, England  
  
"Well, open it," Harry said. "I'd think getting your letter from Hogwarts would make you more excited."  
  
"Hogwarts?!" Cedric yelled. Sure enough, when he turned it over there was the Hogwarts seal. Cedric tore it open and began to read:  
  
Hogwarts School  
  
of Witchcraft and Wizardry  
  
Headmistress: Minerva McGonagall  
  
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,  
  
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards,  
  
Coalition Against the Dark Arts)  
  
Dear Mr. Potter,  
  
We are pleased to inform you that  
  
you have been accepted at Hogwarts School  
  
of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed  
  
a list of all necessary books and equipment.  
  
Term begins promptly on September  
  
1st. We await your owl by no later than July 31.  
  
Yours sincerely,  
  
Atticus Maxwell  
  
Deputy Headmaster  
  
"Hedwig!" Cedric shouted. Then he left the table to find a piece of paper and pen. "Hurry, Dad! Write and tell them I'm going to go! Hurry!"  
  
Harry laughed. "I am, I am," he said. "Take the other paper out. We can go to Diagon Alley today. Pick all your things up. I leave in a week so we'd better get this done now." Harry wrote a short letter to Hogwarts telling them that Cedric would attend.  
  
Cedric pulled out the second paper and put it in his pocket. "How will we get there?" Cedric asked. "Gamma has the car."  
  
"Floo powder," Harry said. "Just like Jade and the others came here with."  
  
"Through the fire?" Cedric asked in both fear and awe.  
  
Harry nodded. He left the kitchen and came back with a money bag and a packet of powder. Harry led Cedric over to the fire. "Throw the powder onto the fire and then step into it. Then shout out loud and clear, 'Diagon Alley!'"  
  
"I won't be burned?" Cedric asked.  
  
"Nope," Harry said. "You go first. I'll be right after you."  
  
"O-okay." Cedric took some of the powder and threw it on the fire. Then he closed his eyes and walked into it. To his surprise, he wasn't burned. "Diagon... Diagon Alley!" he shouted. He closed his eyes tight. The next thing he knew he was rolling out of a fireplace and onto the floor of what looked like a pub.  
  
"Hey there, son," a man sitting near the fireplace said. "You okay?"  
  
"Y-yeah," Cedric replied. He turned around and watched as his father emerged from the fireplace. "What'd you think of that, Ced?" Harry asked.  
  
"It was... different," Cedric said not sure of the right word.  
  
"Hey, Harry," the man said. "This Cedric?"  
  
"Scott!" Harry exclaimed. "I didn't see you there. Cedric, this is Scott Downing. He teaches History of Magic to the older years at Hogwarts. Don't worry, you won't have to deal with him for a few years."  
  
"You teach at Hogwarts, too?" Cedric asked Scott. "Wait - why won't I be in your class. Dad had the same teachers his whole time in Hogwarts. Why'll mine be different?"  
  
"The past couple of years have brought a lot of students to Hogwarts," Scott told him. "Used to be you'd have ten new students a year for every house. Now it is more common to get around fifteen students. After the down fall of Voldemort (several near by people flinched at the name) people saw the world safer for children. Wizarding families went from having two or three kids to having five or six."  
  
"Not my family," Cedric said sadly.  
  
Scott gave Cedric a small smile. In an attempt to lighten Cedric's mood he said, "Well, come on Cedric. We need to get your things. Scott, I'll see you in a week." Scott nodded and Cedric and Harry walked out of the back of the pub.  
  
"What was that place?" Cedric asked.  
  
"Leaky Cauldron," Harry informed him. "Very famous wizarding place. It may not look like much, though. What is first on your list there, Ced?" Harry asked his son.  
  
Cedric took out the piece of paper and looked at it for a minute. He needed all kinds of things: robes, books, a wand, a telescope, and more. Cedric watched as Harry took out his wand and touched some of the bricks in the wall with in. Cedric looked on in awe as the bricks separated to reveal Diagon Alley.  
  
"Come on," Harry said. He smiled at Cedric's amazed look. "I'll take you to get your robes and then while you're in there I'll go get your cauldron and stuff."  
  
While Harry guided Cedric through the crowds of shoppers. Cedric kept looking around in excitement. All too soon for Cedric they reached their destination and they had to go inside the shop. The sign above read PBP Robes and Attire. "What does the PBP stand for?" Cedric asked his father as they entered the store.  
  
"Patil, Brown and Patil," the lady behind the counter told him. "I'm Padma Patil. And then there is Lavender Brown and my twin sister Parvarti."  
  
"What?" someone called from the back room. She looked identical to Padma so Cedric guessed it must be Parvarti. "Did you call m- Harry!"  
  
Harry smiled at her. "Hey, Parvarti," he said. "Cedric here needs some robes. I'll be right back to pay for them. I just need to get him some of his other things."  
  
"Don't worry, Harry!" Parvarti said with a smile. "I'm on it."  
  
Harry left and Cedric found himself alone with Parvarti and the others. "Come along, now," she said as she ushered Cedric into a room. There were a couple other kids in there as well. Two older girls stood over in one corner looking in a mirror. Several older boys were talking in a circle. Cedric noticed they all had black robes with P's on them.  
  
"Let's see, now," Parvarti said to herself as she began taking Cedric's measurements. She wrote some notes on a piece of paper and left him standing there.  
  
"First year, Hogwarts too?" a boy walking over to Cedric asked.  
  
"Yeah," Cedric replied.  
  
"Me, too. I'm Mark Dansfield, by the way," the boy introduced himself.  
  
"Cedric Potter."  
  
"Blimey! Are you related to Harry Potter?" Mark asked in amazement.  
  
"My dad, why?" Cedric asked. Why would anyone be surprised that his father was Harry Potter. Cedric thought for a moment. Maybe it had to do with that evil wizard he had helped that man... Dumbledore was it?... kill.  
  
Mark stared at him. "Why? Why!? He is famous! Took down the Dark Lord a zillion times... for good even... and lived to tell the tale!"  
  
"What-" Cedric tried to get out but Parvarti was back. "You're done, dear," she told Mark. Mark reluctantly followed her to the front of the shop. He kept looking back at Cedric in awe. Cedric just stood there waiting for his robes to be done.  
  
A few minutes later Lavender Brown came into the back room to get Cedric. "Your robes are done. Harry is waiting for you out front." She led Cedric to the front of the shop. Cedric thanked them for his robes and left the shop with his father.  
  
Harry must have noticed how quiet Cedric was because he asked. "What's wrong, son?"  
  
Cedric looked up at him. "Why," he asked, "did you lie to me?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Harry asked.  
  
"About what you did. This kid told me you 'took down the Dark Lord'. He made you out as a big hero. Not like what you told me. 'Bout having little to do with the fall of the evil wizard. You said you were just in the right place at the right time," Cedric said.  
  
"Cedric...." Harry said with a sigh. "Come on. We'll go to the Leaky Cauldron and eat. I'll explain everything there."  
  
  
  
Two hours later found Harry and Cedric sitting silently at a table in the Leaky Cauldron. Harry had just told his son everything. All about everything he had done defeating Voldemort... everything. Cedric sat there digesting all of it. Why hadn't his father told him before?  
  
Harry finally broke the silence. "I'm sorry for not telling you, Ced. I didn't want to. I didn't want you growing up knowing that your father was famous in our world. I knew I'd have to tell you. But..."  
  
Cedric didn't understand. He didn't act like he did.  
  
Harry sighed. "Come on," he told Cedric. "We need to get your wand."  
  
The two of them left the pub. Harry led Cedric to a narrow building. There was a sign over it but it was unreadable. The windows looked brand new but the rest of the place was a mess. Old and worn. Harry opened the door and held it open as Cedric walked in.  
  
There was a small desk inside and thousands of shelves with thin, narrow boxes on them. Suddenly a man popped up from behind the counter. "Cedric Potter! Here for you're first wand," the man said.  
  
"Yes, Mr. Ollivander," Harry said. "He was quite excited too."  
  
Cedric forgot his anger towards his father not telling him about what he'd done in the battle against the Dark Lord. Cedric to shake in anticipation.  
  
The man smiled. "Here, try this. Willow and Unicorn hair, 8 inches."  
  
Cedric held it. "Give it a wave, son," Harry urged.  
  
Cedric waved the wand. Nothing happened. "Hmm," Olivander said. "Here. Oak and Dragon Heart String, 11 1/4 inches."  
  
Cedric waved this wand too and nothing happened. "Tricky customer. Well, what can we expect? Your father was too." He grabbed another box and took out another wand. "Hickory and Phoenix Feather, 12 3/4 inches. Try it."  
  
Cedric waved the wand. Suddenly he felt a warmth in his hand and three sparrows flew from the end of the wand. Cedric stared. Harry clapped a couple of times. "Well, done. Very nice, Cedric," he laughed.  
  
"I did it! I did magic!" Cedric shouted joyfully.  
  
Harry laughed. He handed Mr. Olivander some money and the two of them walked out of the store. Cedric had forgiven his father. His adventure with the wand and doing magic practically wiped the years of deception from his mind. Harry said, "We'd better get heading ho-"  
  
"Get back here Darione!" some shouted and ran past them, cutting Harry off.  
  
Harry laughed as he noticed who it was. "Cyrus Black! Darione get away from you again?" he joked.  
  
A tall boy with shoulder length black hair came over to them dragging a younger boy behind him. "He keeps trying to go to the joke shop," Cyrus Black told Harry. "Even after Dad told him repeatedly that he wasn't allowed in there." Cyrus glared at his little brother.  
  
"Where is Sirius?" Harry asked looking around for his godfather.  
  
"Dad went with Mom to a Coalition meeting," Cyrus explained. "So they had me bring down Darione and Everett to get their stuff for school. But Darione..."  
  
"Come on Cyrus!" Darione whined. "Just for a few minutes! Everett is in there!"  
  
Cyrus looked around frantically for his other brother. "Professor Potter, can you watch him?" Cyrus asked Harry.  
  
"Sure," Harry said with a laugh. Cyrus ran off in the direction of the joke shop. Darione laughed. "Is Everett really in there?" Harry asked the young boy.  
  
Darione smiled. "Nope. I'm not sure where he is," he told Harry.  
  
"Darione, I'd like you to meet my son, Cedric," Harry said. "Well, not really meet. You two used to play together all the time when you were younger."  
  
Darione held out his hand and Cedric shook it. "Nice to meet you again," Darione joked.  
  
"You too," Cedric said. He looked Darione over. His grandmother would not approve of someone with hair like Darione and Cyrus. "Are you starting at Hogwarts this year too?" Cedric asked.  
  
"Yup," Darione replied. "Dad figures I'll be in Gryffindor. But Mom says I could be in any house. Slytherin even 'cause her two sisters were." He seemed to shiver at the thought of being in Slytherin.  
  
Cedric smiled. He knew all about the houses. His father had been in Gryffindor and his mother in Ravenclaw. "Well, I'm most likely to be in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw, I guess," Cedric told Darione. "My dad was a Gryffindor and my mom a Ravenclaw."  
  
"Hey! Maybe we'll be in the same house!" Darione shouted.  
  
"Yeah, that'd be neat," Cedric said.  
  
"Okay, Dar, very funny," Cyrus said as he came over to them. "Thanks Professor," he said to Harry. Then he grabbed Darione by the collar. "Come on. We gotta go find Everett."  
  
Harry laughed. "See you at Hogwarts, Professor Black!" he called after Cyrus.  
  
"Professor Black?" Cedric asked.  
  
"Yeah, he is one of our younger professors," Harry explained. "You'll have him as your transfiguration teacher for you first three years at Hogwarts."  
  
Cedric watched the two of them walk out of sight. "Come on," Harry said. "Let's go home." 


	4. The Hidden Platform

Chapter Four:  
  
The Hidden Platform  
  
Cedric was sitting at the kitchen table. Allison shoved a plate in his direction. It was loaded with bacon, eggs, toast and sausage. "Eat up, Cedric, dear," Allison said. "I'm not sending you off on that train without filling you up right."  
  
"But Gamma," Cedric complained. "I'm too excited to eat!"  
  
Allison smiled. "Your mother said the very same thing. But I didn't let her go without a nice hearty breakfast either."  
  
Cedric gave in and ate his breakfast. It was around ten o'clock when Allison and Cedric began their drive to London so Cedric could catch his train. "What platform do I go to, Gamma?" Cedric asked his grandmother.  
  
"Platform nine and three-quarters," she answered. Allison pulled a ticket out of her purse and handed it to him. "The ticket has all the information on it. Oh! and your father asked me to give this to you."  
  
Cedric took the ticket from her and small yet heavy bag from her. "But aren't you going to walk me in?" Cedric asked.  
  
"I would, Cedric, but Mrs. Rudington went in for surgery on her leg and she'll be coming around about the time you train leaves," Allison told him. "And she really wants me to be there."  
  
For the next hour of the trip, Cedric started on his History book. He loved history, both muggle and magical. Cedric liked to think about what it would have been like to live in the middle ages as a wizard or a witch. He found a story in his book about someone who let muggles catch her because she *liked* to get burned.  
  
Cedric was so into his book that he didn't realize they had arrived at Kings Cross Station until his grandmother had already gotten out of the car and had his things on a dolly. He closed the book and hopped out of the car. "You have your ticket right?" Allison asked Cedric.  
  
"Yes, Gamma," he replied and patted his pocket.  
  
"Good," she said. She kissed his forehead. "I'll see you during Christmas break."  
  
Cedric smiled. He waved to her as she drove away. Cedric watched his grandmother drive away until she  
  
was out of sight. Then he turned around and went into the station.  
  
Cedric looked around the station and found the barrier between Platforms 9 and 10. But there was not Platform 9 and 3/4. Cedric looked at his ticket. It said 9 and 3/4 just like his grandmother had said. Cedric looked around the station but still could not find a Platform 9 and 3/4.  
  
A man passing by asked him, "What platform you looking for there, sonny?"  
  
"Platform 9 and 3/4," Cedric told him.  
  
"What's that, boy?"  
  
"Platform 9 and 3/4," Cedric repeated. Then it came to him. Did muggles not know of Platform 9 and 3/4?  
  
"There is no Platform 9 and 3/4," the man said. "Probably why you can't find it."  
  
"Thank you anyways," Cedric said. He pushed his trunk over beside the barrier and sat down on it. Cedric looked at his watch and watched as the time got closer and closer to 11 o'clock which was when the train left.  
  
"There is NO Platform 9 and 3/4!" someone shouted. "Have fun living here for the rest of the year!"  
  
Cedric looked to see who it was that was being shouted at. It was a boy his age pushing a trunk infront of him. "Going to Hogwarts?" Cedric asked the boy.  
  
"If I could find the bloody platform," he replied.  
  
"Same here," Cedric told him. "I'm Cedric Potter."  
  
The boy smiled. "Zachary Myles. But me friend call me Zach."  
  
The two of them sat there talking for a few minutes. Cedric found out that Zach was an orphan and came from an orphanage where he lived with thirty other kids. When he had gotten his letter he thought it was a joke. Then a man named Cage Rambous, who taught at the school, came and took him to Diagon Alley to get his stuff. "I don't know who pays for me to go to this school," Zach told Cedric. "Because I don't have any money and I know that the orphanage people wouldn't pay for it."  
  
"My father was the same way," Cedric told him. "Only his parents left him money to pay for school."  
  
"Your father was an orphan, too?" Zach asked.  
  
"Yeah. Lived with his aunt and uncle and cousin. They hated him. Treated him real bad. Almost kept him from going to Hogwarts even."  
  
"That is worse than what I-" Zach began to say but was cut off.  
  
"Cedric!" someone shouted. It was Ron Weasley. "Why aren't you on the train? It leaves in five minutes!"  
  
"We don't know where the platform is," Cedric told him.  
  
"Harry didn't tell you?" Cedric shook his head. "Jade, you go first."  
  
Jade stepped infront of her father and ran straight at the barrier. Just as she was about to hit, she disappeared. Cedric watched in amazement. "Where'd she go?" Zach asked.  
  
Ron laughed. "Go straight through the barrier," he told them. "Don't worry, you won't hit it. Just run  
  
straight at it. You go first, son."  
  
Zach took a deep breath and pushed his trunk infront of him. In a second they had gone through the barrier. "Now you, Cedric."  
  
Cedric pushed his trunk out infront of him and ran at the barrier. As he got closer he though, 'I'm going to hit it. I'm going to hit it.' He closed his eyes just as he was about to hit. But nothing stopped him. He kept running. He stopped and opened his eyes.  
  
In front of him was a scarlet steam engine. On the platform there were kids hugging their parents and younger siblings, getting their things on the train and carrying owls and cats around. "Over here, Cedric!" Jade yelled from a car towards the end of the train.  
  
Cedric pushed his trunk down that way. He was running to get there and accidently rolled over one of the younger students' robes. "What it!" he yelled.  
  
"S-sorry," Cedric said and kept running. He came to the car and Zach and Jade helped him get his stuff into the car.  
  
"We got one of the bigger compartments," Zach told him as they carried his trunk onto the train. Zach led  
  
Cedric to a large compartment. Jade slid the door open and let them get the trunk in. It *was* a large compartment and could have easily sat eight to ten people if the need came. They pushed Cedric's trunk under one of the benches beside Zach and Jade's trunks.  
  
The door slid open a minute later. A girl and boy their age stood there. "Got room for two more?" they asked in unison. Zach stared at the two of them wide eyed. Their ears were pointy. Cedric thought they looked like... elves.  
  
"Sure," Jade told them. "Come on in. I'm Jade Weasley."  
  
"We're Spock and Kacey Lupin," the boy said. "We're twins."  
  
"I'm Cedric Potter and this," Cedric said pointing at Zach, "is Zachary Myles."  
  
"Potter, eh?" Spock asked. "Don't you recognize the name? Lupin?"  
  
"Uncle Remus!" Cedric shouted.  
  
The twins smiled. "Yep. He is our dad," Kacey said.  
  
The five of them sat down as they felt the train begin moving. Cedric heard a crash out in the hallway. He slid the door open and saw a girl struggling with a trunk. Cedric went and helped her pull it into their compartment. She pushed her pale hair back out her face. "Thanks," she said to Cedric. She looked around. "Oh shoot, I dropped my money bag..."  
  
"You stay here and get you trunk taken care of," Cedric told her. "I'll go look for it." He stepped out of the compartment and walked towards the front of the car. He saw a blue bag similar to the one his father had left for him. He picked it up. 'This has to be it,' he thought.  
  
"Hey look!" someone shouted from the front of the car. "It's that kid who rolled over my robes." Cedric looked up. It *was* the boy who's robes he had accidently ran over. And he was talking to three husky, bodyguard- like boys. 'Uh-oh,' Cedric thought.  
  
The four of them walked over to Cedric. "Whatcha got there?" the one he'd run over asked  
  
"Doesn't matter to you," Cedric told him.  
  
"I'm Lester Leroy, perhaps you've heard the family name. And whatever I say is my business is *my* business," he said to Cedric.  
  
"I haven't heard the name."  
  
"Muggle born?" he asked with a sneer.  
  
"No."  
  
"Elias, get me that money bag," Leroy said to the large blonde boy behind him. He came towards Cedric and punched him in the stomach. Cedric continued to keep the bag from him. "Just give him the bag and you'll be left alone," Leroy told Cedric with a smile.  
  
From behind him, a black dog jumped over Cedric and growled at Elias. The dog barked and chased Leroy and his cronies into the next car. Cedric got up with a groan. A boy came from the other car. Cedric would have recognized him anywhere.  
  
"You okay, Cedric?" Darione Black asked him.  
  
"Yeah," Cedric told him. "I'm okay. Who's dog was that?"  
  
"Erm... I- I... dunno," Darione said a bit paniced. "Come on, back to your compartment."  
  
Darione walked with Cedric back to his compartment. The two of them walked in and Cedric gave the girl her money bag. Darione walked over and sat by the twins. "Hey you two," he said.  
  
"Hey, Dar," Spock said. He pulled something out of his pocket. "Got Ptolemy?" he asked. Cedric watched them with no clue what they were talking about.  
  
"You have Agrippa and the holographic Dumbledore?" Darione asked and pulled out a bunch of cards bound by a rubber band from his pocket.  
  
"Yep," Spock said and handed Darione two cards.  
  
"Me too," Darione said and handed him a card.  
  
"What are those?" Cedric asked.  
  
"Famous Witch and Wizard cards," Jade said from where her and Kacey were talking. "They come in the Chocolate Frog packages."  
  
"Oh!" Cedric exclaimed. "I have some of those."  
  
"Yeah?" Darione and Spock asked. "Let's have a look."  
  
At that moment the door slid open and in came two boys. "Got room? Everywhere else is full up," one said. Cedric thought the face looked familiar and soon remembered it was Mark Dansfield from PBP Robes and Attire.  
  
"Sure do," Kacey said. "Come on in."  
  
"I'm Mark Dansfield," Mark introduced himself to everyone.  
  
"And I'm Eddie Harris," the black boy behind Mark told everyone.  
  
"I'm Rachel Malfoy," the girl who's money bag Cedric had rescued sid.  
  
"Cedric Potter," Cedric said.  
  
The rest of them introduced themselves to everyone and they were soon friends. Cedric remembered what his father had said about a Malfoy who went to school with him. But Cedric wouldn't hold the name against Rachel. She was really very kind, not at all like the Malfoy his father had described.  
  
"I'm last in my family to go to Hogwarts. Well... besides my Uncle Orion's kids. He has a kid, Iras, who isn't even at Hogwarts yet," Darione told everyone. "And my oldest brother is a teacher there. Cyrus Black."  
  
"You keep saying the name Black," Mark said. "Related to the murderer Sirius Black? And the Coalition leader Lyria Strider-Black?"  
  
"My dad *was* cleared, you know," Darione said a little annoyed. "And my mom *is* the leader of the Coalition."  
  
Mark was overwhelmed. "Potter, Black, Strider, Weasley and Malfoy blood all in one compartment!"  
  
Eddie looked at Rachel and Jade. "Yeah... ain't your parents running against each other to be Minister?"  
  
They nodded. "Still doesn't mean we can't be friends does it?" Jade asked.  
  
"I think Hermione Weasley'd be a better Minister than my dad, anyways," Rachel said.  
  
"Really?" Eddie asked.  
  
Once again the compartment door slid open. "Wanna buy any- Oh, hey Darione!"  
  
Cedric looked at who was talking. It was an older boy pushing a cart full of candy and snacks. He had short and very neat kept brown hair. He was already in his Hogwarts robes and had a badge with HB on it. "Aragorn!" Darione said. "All ready to be Head Boy I see."  
  
"Yes I am," Aragorn said. "Any of you want something off the cart?" Everyone got up and bought something except Eddie (who forgot his money bag) and Zach (who had no money). Cedric purposely bought much more than he needed and distributed the snacks to Zach and Eddie.  
  
"Thanks!" the boy said.  
  
Cedric smiled. "No problem."  
  
"Who was that?" Mark asked.  
  
"Aragorn Strider. My cousin," Darione told him.  
  
The lot of them talked for the next hour or so. It began to get dark and it was annouced that they were an hour out of Hogsmeade. The girls went and stood out in the hall for a moment so the boys could get their uniforms on. Then they alternated and the boys waited outside the compartment. As the boys were coming back into the compartment there was a shudder and the train justdied. All the lights went out and someone further down in the car screamed.  
  
"That sure is comforting," Darione said sarcastically. "We can now rule out any monster that lets its victim scream."  
  
"Shut up," Spock said.  
  
"Don't tell me to- hey!" Darione said as five larger figures fell into the compartment.  
  
"Ahhhh!" Kacey screamed.  
  
"Ahhhh!" one of the figures shouted.  
  
Darione sighed. In an announcer voice he said, "Introducing James, Remus, Remus, Scotti and Forbes! All Blacks except for good old Remmie Parker!"  
  
"Thanks for the introduction," James Black said sarcastically.  
  
"W-what happened to the lights?" his twin, Remus Black, asked.  
  
"They went out, Remmie," Remust Parker Lupin told him. "Kinda hard to miss that fact, isn't it?"  
  
"Not for him," Scotti said.  
  
"Hey!" Remmie Parker shouted.  
  
The other four broke out laughing.  
  
Jade took out her wand and muttered, "Lumos." A light shun from her wand. "Is is just me or is the compartment a bit... crowded?"  
  
"With stupidity you mean?" Darione asked.  
  
His older brothers, cousins Scotti and Forbes and Remus Parker glared at him. "Same gene pool remember?" James remarked.  
  
"Must be why I'm so smart. They used up all the stupid genes on you two," Darione remarked.  
  
"Good one, cousin!" Scotti Black, Sirius Black's little brother Orion's son, shouted.  
  
Both James and Remus turned and threatened to hit him. Scotti jumped back out of the compartment. James slid the door shut. "What do you guys want?" Darione asked.  
  
"Can't we come see if our baby brother is scared of the dark and comfort him?" Remus asked innocently.  
  
"No. Now, what do you want?"  
  
"We need to borrow some dungbombs from Everett," Remus Parker said. "Know where he is?"  
  
"Not in here," Spock said.  
  
They all shrugged and walked out of the compartment. It was possible to hear Scotti complaining about being left outside as they continued up the train. Darione shook his head. "Sometimes I find it hard to believe I'm related to them."  
  
"I don't," Kacey said with a smile.  
  
Darione glared at her. Just then the lights came back and the train started again. "I wonder what happened," Eddie said.  
  
"Me too," Mark added.  
  
The rest of the ride was relatively uneventful. Darione set off a dungbomb right outside Lester Leroy's  
  
compartment and he, Cedric and Spock had thrown pumpkin pasties at them will Jade and Zach tossed Bertie  
  
Bott's Every Flavor beans on the floor for them to trip on.  
  
Darione observed their work and turned to the others. "Nice," he commented. "We're going to make a  
  
wonderful team. Hehe."  
  
They went back to their compartment and ate sweets with the others. Two hours later, the Hogwarts Express arrived in Hogsmeade. 


	5. A Castle and A Talking Hat

Chapter Five:  
  
A Castle and a Talking Hat  
  
"Firs' Years!" they heard someone yell. "Firs' Years over this way! Follow me! Firs' Years!" It was a large man who looked like a giant.  
  
"Whoa!" Zach yelled out. "He's huge!"  
  
Several older students passed by him with waves and 'Hello, Professor'. "And he's a professor?" Eddie said in awe. "Wonder what he teachs."  
  
"That'd be Care of Magical Creatures," the boy who had had the cart informed them. "Aragorn Strider the Second. I was named after my grandfather. Head Boy of Hogwarts in his day, he was. Cedric Potter?" Cedric nodded. "I know your father. Best teacher here in my opion. And in a lot of others'."  
  
"Firs' Years!" the giant continued to shout.  
  
"That'll be you," Aragorn told Cedric. "You'd all best be getting on." He left.  
  
"Don't mind him," Darione said. "He likes to hear his own voice. Likes to be important. It's Head Boys  
  
like him..."  
  
"Firs' Years!"  
  
"Come on!" Spock and Kacey yelled and ran after the giant. Everyone took up after them. Behind them there heard an explosion as a dungbomb went off. Darione laughed. "That'd be one of my family!"  
  
"Is that really something to be proud of?" Rachel asked.  
  
"Aragorn and my brother Everett might not think so... but look at *your* family!" Darione countered.  
  
"Your twin uncles did stuff like that all the time. Hogwarts always has someone like that. And a lot more now with all of my family here and Spocko and Kace's as well."  
  
"Prime trouble makers," Spock said.  
  
They all came to a large lake with many tiny boats docked infront of them. Cedric looked around at all the other kids. There had to be more that fifty of them there!  
  
"In t' the boats ther'," the giant said. "I'm Rubeus Hagrid. You all can call me Professor Hagrid. Now, in t' the boats so we don' make everone angry by makin' them wait fer the feast."  
  
"Feast?" someone scoffed. "I highly doubt it. What we have a *my* house. Now that is a feast." Cedric  
  
glared at Leroy.  
  
"A Malfoy?" Hagrid asked. Rachel went pink.  
  
Leroy laughed. "Me? A Malfoy? Not a chance. I'm a Leroy."  
  
"Figures," Hagrid said. Darione laughed. "In t' the boats. Hurry up now."  
  
Cedric, Darione, Jade, and Rachel got into one boat. Spock, Kacey, Zach and Eddie got into another boat. Poor Mark was left to share a boat with Leroy and two of his cronies. Darione and Cedric kept an eye on their boat. If they tried anything, Darione knew some spells and Cedric had his fists up even thought he'd have to swim over to the other boat to use them.  
  
Leroy and his cronies didn't try anything on the way across the lake. They met up with Elias Grace, who had punched Cedric on the train. Mark walked over to the others. "Gee! I thought I was a goner having to get that boat with them!"  
  
Hagrid walked up and banged on a large wooden door. Cedric looked in awe at the castle. It was just like in the books. He couldn't believe he was finally here. Cedric watched the door open and saw a man just inside.  
  
"Got the firs' years here, Professor Maxwell," Hagrid said.  
  
The man looked several years older than Cedric's father. He was extremely nervous. Even more nervous than the blonde boy behind them who hadn't stopped shaking and twitching since they got off the train. "Come on in ya'll," the man said with a forgein accent. It was similar to the American Mid-western accent of a group of tourists Cedric had once seen in a London mall.  
  
The large group of first years followed Maxwell into a passage way. When the stopped they could hear the rest of the school talking on the other side of the walls. "I'm Professor Atticus Maxwell," Maxwell told them. "I'm the Deputy Headmaster and Ancient Runes Professor here at Hogwarts. In a few minutes you'll be taken up 'fore the rest of the school an' sorted inta one of the houses. Your house is basically your family. You're bad, the house loses these house points you're given. You're good, you get points fer yer house." He looked out at them all. "Un'erstand?"  
  
There were many spoken affirmatives and shaking of heads. Satisfied, Maxwell led them up a large staircase and into an enormus dinnering hall. They stared about in wonder and nervousness. The entire school was sitting at the four long tables in the room. Cedric looked at the teacher's table and waved to his father. Harry waved back.  
  
"The sorting ceremony is begining!" Maxwell shouted as another teacher brought forth a stool and a very old and tattered hat.  
  
The new students stared at the hat. Cedric was clueless. 'What are we supposed to do with *that*?' he thought. He knew his grandmother would never keep a hat that dirty and old and warn around the house. The entire school had fallen silent and was watching the hat.  
  
It began to sing. Cedric looked on in amazement. That hat was singing! He knew that there was supposed to be a talking hat that sorted the students. But he had never thought it would be so... beat up. Yet, this was the hat he had read about.  
  
  
  
Eons ago here,  
  
Four people made this school.  
  
Their purpose was clear,  
  
Teach the young to use magic.  
  
Old Slytherin was grim,  
  
Ravenclaw was a brain,  
  
Hufflepuff was a jem,  
  
Gryffindor - Gentle and Brave.  
  
But they would die,  
  
Fade away.  
  
Leaving behind,  
  
Their legacy.  
  
Into me - a hat -  
  
They put their wisdom,  
  
As they sat.  
  
So I could  
  
Pick and choose,  
  
Students for each house,  
  
So none would loose  
  
Their reputations.  
  
Ravenclaws; Smart and Proud,  
  
Gryffindors; Brave and True,  
  
Hufflepuffs; Nice and Humble,  
  
Slytherins; Sly and Shrewd.  
  
So please try me on,  
  
Don't be nervous.  
  
I'll choose the house,  
  
For you to grow in.  
  
When the song was over, Professor Maxwell walked over and stood by the hat. He told them, "When I call your name come up and sit on the stoo while I place the Sorting Hat on your head."  
  
"Abbett, Brooke!" A small, red head girl walked up and sat down on the stool. Maxwell placed the hat on her head. The hat took a moment and then shouted out, "RAVENCLAW!"  
  
"Black, Dar-ee-in!" Maxwell shouted.  
  
"It's Dar-ee-own," Darione told him.  
  
"Whatever, just sit down," Maxwell said.  
  
Cyrus Black was about to make a comment on that but Harry Potter placed a hand on his shoulder in warning. Darione sat down and the hat was placed on his head. "GRYFFINDOR!" it shouted.  
  
Then came Zoe Bono who became a Ravenclaw along with Terry Boot II, Gretel Boriss became the first new Slytherin and Lisa Bowell became the first new Hufflepuff. Cedric was nervous and was sweating slightly. He looked around the Great Hall and saw Darione's brothers flicking odd green colored balls over the table with snake banners above it.  
  
Cedric snapped to attention when he heard Maxwell call out the name Mark Dansfield. Cedric watched as Mark walked over and put the hat on his head. The hat took a moment to decide where to put him. It finally seemed to decide and shouted out, "RAVENCLAW!" Mark walked over to the table with the bird banners above it amongst applause from his new house mates.  
  
Many more students were sorted. Kacey and Spock went to Gryffindor. Lester Leroy went to Slytherin. That didn't surprise Cedric. They looked like a rather unfriendly lot. His cronies also went with him to the house. Eddie went to Gryffindor too.  
  
It was now Rachel's turn. Cedric noticed that the entire Slytherin table seemed to quiet. They had somewhat pleasent looks on their faces. Rachel walked up to the stool and put the sorting hat on. "SLYT- wait... hmmm...." the Sorting Hat said, suddenly changing its mind about the placement. "No... not Slytherin... GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
The Slytherins all looked stunned. One boy, one of the older ones, stood up and shouted, "You're a disgrace! My sister a Gryffindor!" Then he stormed out of the Great Hall. No one moved. Finally one of the teachers, a greasy looking man got up and walked out after the boy.  
  
The Great Hall was silent for a moment. Then Maxwell continured. Marcus, Marvey, Matthews, McDonald, Meade. Then he called, "Myles, Zachary!"  
  
Zach walked shakily up to the stool and sat down. The hat fell down over his eyes. The hat took a few minutes to decide with Zach. It muttered things like "extremely smart".... "brave"... "cunning"... "humble"... "lots of courage"... Finally it shouted out, "GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
More people went and were sorted into houses. Maxwell called out, "Potter, Cedric." Cedric began to sweat slightly. He walked over to the stool and sat down. Maxwell dropped the hat on his head.  
  
The hat began to mumble things in his ear. "Potter's son, eh?" it asked.  
  
"Y-yes," Cedric thought in response.  
  
The hat seemed to chuckle. "Just like your father. Just like him. You're going into... GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
Cedric took the hat off and placed it on the stool. He looked to the teachers' table and saw his father smile at him. Cedric smiled back and walked over to the table Spock, Kacey and the others had gone to. From there he watched the rest of the new kids sorted and kept a seat open for Jade, who he hoped would also be in Gryffindor. And soon was sorted into Gryffindor.  
  
An aging woman came stood up from her place at the center of the teachers's table. "Hello, all. Welcome to another wonderful year at HogwartsI'm the headmistress, Professor McGonagall, and I'll take this time to remind everyone that the Dark Forest is out of bounds to all Hogwarts students. Magic will not be used in the hallways inbetween classes. NO dung bombs shall be set off in the corridors. OR outside the common rooms of any house."  
  
James, Remus, Remmie Parker, Scotti, Forbes and several other Gryffindors with black hair seemed to hold back laughter. So did an asortment of red heads all around the Great Hall. "And now, Skivit Limbok Mirsh!" McGonagall said.  
  
"What does that mean?" Cedric asked Jade.  
  
"It means this," she said and pointed at the food that had just appeared on the table.  
  
Cedric was amazed to see the food. He began to pile things up on his plate. Never had he seen this much food in one place. And the plates seemed to continue to fill themselves back up. Remus told something to Spock which must have been funny because he began to laugh. Kacey just rolled her eyes.  
  
"What did he say?" Cedric asked.  
  
Spock lowered his voice. "The flung some snake-and-stink bombs over at the Slytherins," Spock told him.  
  
"Snake-and-stink bombs? What are those?" Zach, who was sitting next to Cedric, asked.  
  
"Prank bombs that explode in a cloud of stinky green smoke and shoot out snakes," Darione explained from his seat on the other side of Zach.  
  
Just then there was a crackling sound coming from the Slytherin table. Green smoke was rising over the table. It smelt so bad that half the students began running for the exits. There was screaming from the table and  
  
Cedric suspected that the snakes were out now.  
  
James and Remus were cracking up along with Remmie Parker, Scotti and Forbes. "The Five Terrors strike again!" one of them yelled.  
  
The green smoke filled the entire Great Hall now. Cedric had no clue how to get out and walked around blindly, running into tables and people. Darione came through the smoke with his shirt up over his nose. He placed his hand on Cedric's shoulder and guided him out.  
  
Everyone was out in the main corridor. "Okay, people, seperate by houses!" Maxwell shouted. "Gryffindors over by Professors otter and Black! Ravenclaws over by Professors Downing and Preston! Hufflepuffs by me and Professor Rambous! Slytherins-"  
  
"Slytherins over here!" the greasy haired professor shouted.  
  
"Yes. Over by Professor Snape," Maxwell said.  
  
Cedric walked with Darione over to his father and Cyrus. Cedric noticed Cyrus glare at the Five Terrors. They all grinned. Harry tried to hide a smile. "Gryffindors!" Harry shouted. "Follow me! All Gryffindors! Yes, you too, Perault Weasley. I don't care that you're a Prefect. Move it!"  
  
The entire Gryffidor house followed Harry to the Gryffindor house. When everyone was in the common room Harry and Cyrus left. They showed the new students to their dorms and left them to talk. And older boy with dreadlocks watched the professors until they were out of sight. He nodded and a cheer went up.  
  
"Wonderful!" the boy with dreadlocks said to the Five.  
  
"Thanks Kai, but it was nothing," James said.  
  
The house laughed. After a few minutes everyone dispersed. Darione, Jade, Zack, the Lupin twins, Eddie and Cedric sat down in front of the fire. "Darione, how many of your brothers and sisters are in this house?" Cedric asked.  
  
"Hmm... lemme think... 1... 2... 3... Three brothers and one sister and then three of seven cousins attending and five of eleven neices and nephews," Darione answered. "We're a big family. REALLY big. I mean... I've got nine brothers and sisters."  
  
"My family is like that too," Jade said. "I'm my dad's first child in but eleven of my cousins are here or have been here and I have three cousins and four, almost five, siblings that are still waiting to come here. But only Perault, my Uncle Percy's son, is in Gryffindor."  
  
"I'm first to come in my family, too," Eddie said. Everyone turned to look at him. He'd been mostly silent since they had met him. "I've got a little brother named Vincent who'll come next year and a baby sister named Vanessa."  
  
"I don't have a big family..." Cedric said. "It's just me, my dad and my grandmother."  
  
"You can have one of my little brothers," Jade said. "Just pick which one... but not Carys. I like him."  
  
Cedric laughed. Someone came up behind them. "What's so funny?" he asked.  
  
"You're face," Darione said.  
  
"Hey!" the boy yelled but had a smile. "How's it going Dar?"  
  
"Pretty good... how's Athena?" Darione asked him. To Cedric and Jade he whispered, "She's my older sister."  
  
"Mom is fine. How's grandpa?"  
  
"Dad is fine, Sheridan," Darione told him. "You saw him last week."  
  
"Uh... Darione... how old is your sister Athena?" Jade asked.  
  
"Oh, her and her twin Jason are... thirty-four... I think," Darione replied.  
  
"Yup," Sheridan said. "I'm Sheridan Summers by the way," Sheridan said introducing himself to them.  
  
"And I'm his half sister, Calista Boot," a girls said. "Come on Sheridan! I need help with that History essay and I have it tomorrow!"  
  
"See you guys later!" he told the group of friends and then walked after Calista.  
  
"You and you sister are twenty-three years apart!?" Zach asked in disbelief.  
  
Darione smiled. "Yes, we are. Those are my nephew and neice. Athena was married twice and had three kids with each husband. But John left her and her first three. Now she is married to Terry Boot. He is great and they had Calista, Terry Jr., and Willow. Terry was put in Ravenclaw if you paid attention. And Willow isn't here yet."  
  
"You're lucky you have such a big family," Cedric told him.  
  
"Lucky?" Darione laughed. "I forget half of their names!"  
  
Everyone laughed. "But I'm not joking!" Darione shouted with a smile on his face. "Between my family and Uncle Remus's I forget some peoples' names. It's a good thing that three of the lot have the name Remus!"  
  
"It's getting late," Kacey said.  
  
"Yeah! And we have class tomorrow!" Eddie yelled.  
  
"So?" Darione asked.  
  
"I'm with him. I don't want to fall asleep on my first day," Zach said.  
  
Cedric took out his schedule. "Tomorrow is Tuesday... hey look! We've got my dad tomorrow!"  
  
"Cool!" Spock said.  
  
"Come on, Kacey," Jade said. "Let's go to bed."  
  
"Yeah," Zach said. "Come on guys."  
  
They all said good night to each other and headed to their dorms. When the boys got up there they saw that their two other room mates were already asleep. Cedric got into his pajamas and got in bed. He fell asleep in anticapation of his first day of classes. 


	6. Tower of the Lion

Chapter Six:  
  
Tower of the Lion  
  
Cedric was awoken the next day by several small thuds. Darione and Spock would laugh, compliment or taunt the other with each thud. Cedric looked over at Darione's bed. Both boys were sitting on the bed along with Zach who looked confused.  
  
"Isn't it a bit... violent?" Zach asked.  
  
Cedric looked at the game they were playing. It was chess! Only the pieces were knocking each other out  
  
with loud thuds.  
  
"It's only a game, Zacky my boy," Scotti Black said as he entered the room. He looked at the boy and elf. "Who is winning?"  
  
"I am," Spock said with a grin. "Darione is a bit rusty."  
  
"Am not!" Darione shouted. "It is just hard to find someone challenging to play back home."  
  
Everyone turned as they heard a loud explosion in the Common room. Everyone in the room ran down the stairs to see what had happened. Standing in the middle of the common room were James, Remus, and Remmie Parker. They were covered in soot and the fire in the fireplace was pink.  
  
"What did you two do!?" Darione yelled and ran down stairs. He took a vase full of flowers and dumped  
  
the watery contents on the fire extingushing it.  
  
"The fire was out!" James shouted at his little brother. "None of the house elves had fixed it up so we were trying to."  
  
"You can't conjure fire?" Aragorn asked as he walked down the stairs. "Pathetic."  
  
"Shut up, Aragorn," Remus said. "James can too... he just..."  
  
"No, I can't conjure fire," James said. "Got a problem with it?"  
  
Aragorn glared at him. "Someone find one of the firestarters. And NO ONE will try and fix a fire in this common room again."  
  
James, Remus and Remmie Parker stormed out of the common room. Cedric was confused. "What is a firestarter?" he asked his friends.  
  
"I-I-I am," a boy with brown hair said. "I-I-I'm a f-firestarter. Py- pyrok-kinesis?"  
  
"Oh!" Cedric exclaimed. It made sense now. He could start fire with his mind. "That must be cool."  
  
"Not really," the boy said sadly. "G-gotta w-worry 'b-bout hurting s- some-someone. My l-little b-brother Be-Bennett c-can do it too. And m-my sister C-C-Chleo. Sorta a f-family thing."  
  
"Oh... well, I'm Cedric Potter," Cedric said and extended his hand.  
  
"T-Tyler Black," he responded. "Yes, an-another Black. W-we make up h-half of the s-school. Us and t-the Weasley bunch. R-right?" he asked Jade who smiled and nodded. "I-I need to make a fire... s-s-see you all around..." he said to them and walked over to the fireplace.  
  
"I'm hungry," Darione said. "Let's go down to the Great Hall and eat."  
  
"Sure," Jade responded. "And I'm sure Leroy will just love your yellow boxers. They're so... you."  
  
Darione looked down and blushed when he realized he was still in his pajamas. Cedric and Spock snickered until they realized that they too weren't dressed. The three of them ran back up to their dorm followed by Zach and the others.  
  
Darione, Cedric, Zach, Spock and Eddie were soon dressed and joined Jade, Rachel and Kacey outside the portal. The eight of them hurried to the Great Hall. They got seats all together and began to eat. The rest of the seats filled in around them until the entire school was in there eating. Cedric was so busy eating he didn't didn't notice the owls flying into the Great Hall until one landed on the table infront of him.  
  
It extended its leg out in Eddie's direction. On the leg was tied a large envelope that jingled. Eddie took the envelope and opened it. The enveloped opened to reveal many gold, silver, and bronze coins. "Yes! Thank you, Mom!" he shouted and blushed slightly when he noticed everyone looking at him.  
  
Cedric looked up and watched all the owls flying to their owners. He smiled when he saw Hedwig fly over to his father and drop a letter in his bacon. Cedric had gone back to eating when a golden owl landed on the pitcher in front of him. It looked at Cedric and extended his leg.  
  
Cedric looked at the envelope. Who would send him anything by owl post? He opened the letter. It was from his father.  
  
  
  
Dear Cedric,  
  
Happy Birthday! Or did you forget?  
  
Cedric gasped. He *had* forgotten!  
  
You'r eleven years old today! I wasn't sure  
  
what to get you. So I got you an owl. This  
  
is you owl. Their handy and since you'll be  
  
wanting to exchange letters with your magic  
  
friends during break when we go home to see  
  
Gamma, I decided this would be the best gift.  
  
Happy Birthday!  
  
Dad  
  
Darione looked at the letter. "Blimey, Cedric!" he exclaimed. "You didn't tell us today was you birthday!"  
  
Cedric laughed. "I forgot!"  
  
Eddie almost fell out of his seat. Everyone else stared at him. Except Zach who knew how easy it was to forget your birthday under certain circumstances. "How do you forget your birthday?" Spock wanted to know.  
  
"I dunno," Cedric told him. "I just did. I was so excited about coming here it just slipped my mind, I guess."  
  
A large barn owl flew over to him and landed on Eddie's head. It dropped a some what large parcel infront of Cedric. "What is that?" Jade asked.  
  
"I dunno," Cedric said. He began to open the package. Cedric opened up the top and inside was a birthday cake. The card on the box said it was from Gamma. Cedric smiled. He noticed the others looking at him. "Well, give me your plates if you want some."  
  
It was a big cake and there was enough for everyone. He even took a plate over to Mark. Then the rest of them chowed down on the cake until they were full. There was so much that they left the rest for The Five. They all ran up to their dorms to grab their books and things.  
  
They walked down the hall way. Eddie was looking at their schedule. "What do we have first Eddie?" Zach asked.  
  
"History of Magic," Eddie told him. "With... Mr. McAimes."  
  
Darione groaned. "I *hate* history," he whined.  
  
"Well, I happen to like it," Jade retorted.  
  
"Me, too," Cedric said.  
  
Kacey looked at Eddie's schedule. "With the Ravenclaws," she said. "That shouldn't be too bad. And, look, Cedric! We have your dad after that." She groaned. "With the Slytherins."  
  
"Ah, man," Spock whined.  
  
"I second that," Darione said. "But I tell you, if that Leroy even thinks about messing with me he'll regret it."  
  
"Knowing who your parents are, I'm really glad that I'm not Leroy," Jade remarked with a smile.  
  
The group of them made it to Professor McAimes' class. It was the junior part of the castle. The castle was divided into two parts: Junior classes and Senior Classes. After the death of Voldemort it was common for wizarding families to have five or more children. Parents deemed the world safer for children and it was soon very common to see a family of seven walking down Diagon Alley.  
  
Cedric walked up to the door and held it open for everyone. They all walked in and took seats in the classroom. "Out with your books!" a young man standing at the front of the classroom directed cheerfully. "I'm Professor McAimes and I'll be teaching your History class for the next three years. So get used to me."  
  
Professor McAimes seems to be okay, Cedric thought. McAimes told them that their first lesson would be about the fall of the after effects of the Fall of the Dark Lord Voldemort. He was quick to the point. "Your assignment is to write an essay on a famous witch or wizard. Which ever one you want. You have tomorrow durning class to work on the essays. They're due Friday." He looked up at the clock on the wall. "Class dismissed. Boy, that was fast."  
  
Outside the classroom Darione exclaimed, "That really *was* fast! Maybe History won't be so bad after all."  
  
"Now it is off to Defense Against the Dark Arts!" Spock announced. "Learn to fight demons, kill dark wizards and... most importantly... get the girl at the end!"  
  
"You watch too much Muggle television," Jade said.  
  
"What do you expect? I was named after a Muggle television character."  
  
"And one that is supposed to be serious at that. Your parents most defiantly gave you the wrong name," Darione said.  
  
Spock glared at him.  
  
"Let's get to class without someone being hit, shall we?" Eddie asked.  
  
They walked down the corridor some before they realized that the DADA classroom was an all school class. Those classes were oriented around the castle. DADA was over in the senior class area. Cedric checked his watch. They had two minutes to get to class. He groaned. What is dad going to think? Cedric asked himself. Late on the first day.  
  
Darione seemed to size up the situation. "Well... our only chance is to run and hope we make in time."  
  
"We don't even know where the classroom is," Rachel told him.  
  
Darione gave a mischevious smile. "Oh, we don't?" He pulled a piece of parchment out. On it was a map of the school.  
  
"Where'd this come from?" Jade asked him. "Is this the Marauder's Map?"  
  
"One of them," Darione told her. "Dad made another copy before he left Hogwarts. He thinks he lost it. But it was James and Remus who took it. I took it from them. Here is the DADA classroom." He pointed at it. Then he pointed at a group of people. "This is us. So..."  
  
"We go this way," Jade said and began running down the hall.  
  
Darione took his wand out, touched it to the parchment and muttered something. Then he rolled it up and stuck it in his bag. The others had already gone ahead, except Cedric and Zach who were waiting for Darione. "Let's go," Darione said and they took off.  
  
  
  
When Cedric, Darione and Zach made it to the classroom everyone else was already there. The three of them walked quickly to the back of the room and sat next to their dorm mates, Mitchell Perret and Colton Freemantle. Cedric checked to see what page they were on in their books and flipped to the same page.  
  
"Vampires. Deadly and dangerous yet prominent members of society," Harry said to the class. "However, there are many who would like nothing better to than bite your neck and have you for dinner." Many of the students from both houses made a face.  
  
"Now, let's see how many of you actually read you books before coming to school. What is one thing a vampire is afraid of?" Harry asked. Hands flew up. "Mr. Leroy?"  
  
"Crosses," Leroy said smuggly as if he was the only one who knew the answer.  
  
"Very good, Mr. Leroy. Five points to Slytherin. Another thing?" Fewer hands went up. "Ms. Malfoy?"  
  
"Holy Water?" Rachel said a little uncertain.  
  
"Yes! Good one," Harry complimented her. "Five points to Gryffindor. And one more thing? Mr. Lupin?"  
  
"Pepper!" Spock said.  
  
Kacey nudged him. "That's garlic, moron," she whispered.  
  
Cedric and Darione snickered. "Er... I mean Garlic," Spock answered again.  
  
Harry smiled. "Yes, garlic it is. Five points to Mr. Lupin for trying and five to Ms. Lupin for the correct answer," Harry said.  
  
The rest of the class went by quickly. Cedric liked the class a lot except for the glares and mean looks coming from the Slytherins. He could see why the Sorting Hat had changed its mind when it was about to put Rachel in Slytherin. They were mean and Rachel was nothing like that. It made Cedric wonder how Rachel and her brother could be so different. Darione wasn't any different from his brothers... or his cousins. Neither were the twins.  
  
After class it was time for lunch. Rachel, Jade and Kacey went back to the common room to 'freshen up' as they called it. The five guys went down to the common room to eat. Perched on top of one of the water jugs was Cedric's owl. He hooted at Cedric so he sat down there. Cedric stroked his back.  
  
"Well? Have you named him?" someone behind Cedric asked.  
  
He turned around. "Not yet, Dad. I dunno what to call him."  
  
Spock looked up and looked at the owl. "Looks like an over sized snitch," he remarked and then went back to his sandwich.  
  
Snitch? Yes! That was it. He did look like the golden quidditch ball. "Thanks, Spock," Cedric said. "I'm going to call him Snitch." He turned to the owl. "Like that? Snitch?" Snitch hooted happily. He nipped at Cedric's fingers affectionately and flew off. "He's great. Thanks, Dad."  
  
"I thought you'd like an owl of your own," Harry said. Cedric saw Professor Downing motioning for Harry to join him and another teacher up at the teachers' table. "I'll see you later, son," Harry told him and then went up to the teachers' table.  
  
Cedric picked a sandwich off of the plate infront of him and began eating. This had been one of the best days of Cedric's life. He couldn't wait to get out to the greenhouses for herbology. Cedric wanted to see more of the grounds. It had been dark the night before so he hadn't had much of a chance.  
  
The girls soon joined them and as it began nearing one o'clock they finished and head outside. Herbology was an all years class taught by one person like DADA was. The schedule said a Professor Sprout taught herbology. They all went into the first greenhouse where the rest of the students were.  
  
"Hey... you see Mitch anywhere?" Colton asked them. "He said he had to go get his books but he never came back."  
  
"Shoot!" Cedric yelled. "I forgot my book too! Dar, tell the professor I'll be here real soon." Cedric ran out of the greenhouse and back into the castle. He was near the Gryffindor Common Room when he heard punching.  
  
"You're a nerd," some said. It was Leroy. "I saw you. You have your entire History essay done already. So hand it over already!"  
  
More punching. "Hey!" Cedric said as he stepped around the corner. "Leave him alone!"  
  
"Look! I'm Potter! I'm going to stop you!" Leroy mocked him.  
  
Elias and Johnston laughed and began to dig throughh Mitch's bag. "Stop it!"  
  
"Stop it!" Leroy mocked.  
  
Cedric was so mad he charged Leroy. Leroy was taken by surprise and it was easy for Cedric to give him a good broken nose before Leroy fought back. A split second later the fight went from one agaisnt one to three againts one. Elias and Johnston came in fist flying. Cedric saw Mitch take off.  
  
Elias and Johnston held his arms behind his back leaving Leroy to hit and hit to his heart's desire. "Let go of him right now!"  
  
They all turned. It was Cyrus. Mitch stood behind him. "I said let him go!" Elias and Johnston complied. Leroy stood pale knowing he couldn't get out of this. Cyrus walked over to them. "You okay, Cedric?" Cedric nodded. "Good. Go onto class. You too, Mitch," Cyrus told them.  
  
Mitch and Cedric walked down the corridor and out of the castle. As they neared the greenhouse, Mitch turned to Cedric. "Thanks," he said.  
  
Cedric rubbed a raw spot on his right cheek. "No problem," he replied with a smile. "Glad I could help. Think Leroy'll get expelled? Fighting on the first day. Tsk Tsk Tsk."  
  
Mitch smiled. "I hope so."  
  
"Me too." 


	7. The Prophet Tells All

Chapter Seven:  
  
The Prophet Tells All  
  
The next month was pretty normal. Cedric and his friends went to class everyday and learned something new everyday. Leroy, Elias and Johnston didn't get expelled but they did get five weekends of detention. Their punishment was to help the caretakers Barlow and Dixon clean up the castle on weekends. So Cedric, Darione, Zach and Mark made it a point to go study along the muddy banks of the lake before coming into the castle.  
  
It wasn't until two weeks later on a fine Saturday morning that things began to look bad. Jade liked to monitor her mother's campaign and had the Daily Prophet delivered to the school. Instead of election news, there was an different type of article on the front page.  
  
  
  
MYSTERIOUS DISEASE KILLS FIVE WITCHES IN ENGLAND  
  
-Meisha Konnen  
  
A fifth witch died of a newly discovered disease last night. Margarita Horten, age 38, began to show odd symptoms early Wednesday morning. They were the same symptoms exhibited by Shandra Kleeve, Sara Morganstern, Tara Monet and Apryl Feildings, all of who have died in the last forty-eight hours  
  
Horten's husband, Keif Horten, woke up on Monday morning to find his wife next to him sweating and pale. Mr. Horten thought little of it and figured she just had a fever. By the next day Mrs. Horten was vomiting and losing weight at an alarming rate.  
  
Mr. Horten raced his wife to the local muggle hospital. None of the doctors could tell what was wrong with her. Special Ministry doctors were deployed to the hospital. After a measure of tests they too could not identify the disease. They did however notice its resemblance to the disease the first four women had. Mrs. Horten was moved to a Ministry hospital in London. She died early this morning. Margarita Horten leaves a widower and an eight year old adopted son behind.  
  
Ministry doctors are baffled by this sudden disease. No muggles have contracted the disease and Mr. Horten and young Jacob Horten are in perfect health. There is no known connection to the five women. Not even attendance at Hogwarts as Feildings and Kleeve attended ten years before the other three arrived.  
  
Investigations continue as three more witches have contracted what is now known as the Witch Caster disease.  
  
"Wow... do we know anyone by those names?" Darione asked Spock.  
  
"Mrs. Monet."  
  
"From where? Oh. Darold Monet, from the Coalition," Darione said remembering the name Monet. "He  
  
was one of the aurors on the Death Eater Roundup Operation."  
  
"Yeah... his wife was at the success party," Spock told him. "Remember?"  
  
Darione nodded. A month before, Cedric would have had no idea what the 'Coalition' was. However, if he  
  
had learned anything in the past month, the Coalition was the one thing he'd never forget.  
  
The 'Coalition' was short for the Coalition Against the Dark Arts. It was run by Darione's mother, Lyria Strider-Black. His father was part of the Coalition as was Spock and Kacey's parents, Lyndell Greenleaf-Lupin and Remus Lupin. The Coalition was pretty much an army of aurors who led the war against dark magic. The Coalition is seperate from the Ministry of Magic and only works with them when they have too. Because of the Coalition there are very few aurors in the Ministry. This gives the Coalition a strong standing in politics though they could care less. All the Coalition wants to do is stop dark wizards. They stand for that and the education of defense against the dark arts.  
  
Kacey tried to make them think of happier things. "Hey, the Halloween feast is tonight. I can't wait!"  
  
"Yeah!" Jade said excitedly. "I hear Professor McGonagall booked Reg Barber and Lea Chesette for entertainment."  
  
"Really?" Kacey asked unbelieving. "No way!"  
  
"Reg Barber!?" Rachel screamed.  
  
Spocked wined and shook his head. "Women."  
  
Spock and Darione talked about quidditch as Jade and Cedric talked about their latest history lesson. They had the weekend to write an essay on the 1693 Goblin Rebellion. It wasn't due for a few days, but they found the topic really intresting. Darione, however, relied on them for late night cramming. For him, History of Magic class was nap time.  
  
It was Saturday and unusually warm for the end of October. Jade, Kacey, and Rachel decided to stay in and put on make up with Calista and Kacey's older sister Ari. Darione suggested that the rest of them go outside and play frisbee. They all agreed and headed outside.  
  
Cedric saw Mark sitting out by the lake skipping rocks. "Hey, Mark!" he called. "Come on! We're going to go play frisbee!"  
  
Mark skipped one last rock and ran to join them. Darione had conjured a frisbee and threw it to Spock. Spock faked a throw back to Darione and instead threw it at Eddie who caught it and threw it to Mark. They threw it back and forth repeatedly, several times having close encounters with the ground.  
  
Cedric let the frisbee fly and the wind caught it. The frisbee took off towards the lake. Eddie and Mark both ran for it and accidently ran into each other. Suddenly, Darione transformed into a black dog and took off  
  
after the frisbee. He jumped up and caught it right before plunging into the lake.  
  
The black dog walked out of the lake with the frisbee still in his mouth. Darione shook himself and water flung all over everyone. "Hey!" Spock protested.  
  
Darione dropped the frisbee at Cedric's feet and transformed back. His black ponytail was plastered to his back and his clothes were soaking wet and clinging to his body. The wind was picking up again and the wet friends ran back into the castle, all but Spock staring after him.  
  
When the entered the castle Eddie yelled, "That was awesome, Dar!"  
  
Darione smiled. "Not really," he said modestly. "Just a family thing."  
  
"Nothing?!" Mark yelled. "You're an animagus! That is rare!"  
  
"Not as rare as it used to be," Darione told him. "My whole family can change and with the size of my family it really isn't anything big anymore."  
  
Cedric remembered the black dog that had saved him from Leroy on the train. He smiled at Darione and saw his friend smile back. He remembered too, though he didn't say anything in front of the others. Mark, Eddie and Zach all looked at Darione in awe.  
  
"Change once more," Eddie pleaded. "Just once more."  
  
"Oh, okay," he said and changed into his dog form again.  
  
Eddie, Mark and Zach clapped. Spock rolled his eyes. He had known Darione since they were newborns. His changing didn't impress him anymore. Darione changed back and looked over at Spock. "Show them what you can do."  
  
"No," Spock said and crossed his arms. "I won't."  
  
Darione shrugged. It was near lunch time and the group was getting hungry. "Let's go eat."  
  
"Okay," the rest of them agreed and went to the Great Hall.  
  
Jade, Rachel and Kacey were already there at the Gryffindor table. Mark went to sit at the Ravenclaw table. The rest of them filled the seats around the three girls. Jade looked at the soaking wet Darione. "Drificus," she muttered and he was instantly dry. "Cool," he said. "Thanks."  
  
Jade waved his thanks. "No problem," she said. "Mom taught me all kinds of neat little spells right before I came. I'll show you some."  
  
The food appeared and the group began to eat. There was a rush of air as the owl door opened. Everyone  
  
in the Hall looked up. Owls didn't normally come during lunch or dinner unless it was important. They all waited to see where it would land.  
  
The owl flew down the Gryffindor table and dropped a letter in front of Jade before flying off with a bunch of other letters. The group looked from Jade to the letter and then back to Jade. "Well... open it," Rachel told her.  
  
Jade took the envelope and opened it. She unfolded the letter and read it. A wide smile broke out across Jade and Rachel's faces as they looked up from the letter. Cedric and the others looked at them in anticipation. "What is it?" Darione asked finally.  
  
"Mom had her baby!" Jade yelled excitedly. "Griffin James Weasley. I can't wait to see him!"  
  
"You're going home over Christmas break then, I take it," Kacey said sadly. "We can't this year. Our parents are going to a big Coalition meeting in Cairo," she told them.  
  
"Yeah, same here," Darione said. "My parents are going too. Well... Mom has too. It is her organization and Dad all the other aurors have to go too. Manditory. Some new bad guy is thought to be emerging."  
  
"Really?" Eddie asked fearfully. "L-like You-Know-Who come back?"  
  
"Just say the name!" Spock yelled at him annoyed at his friend. "He is dead. Gone for good thanks to Ced here's dad."  
  
"I know... I know..." Eddie said. "But... could it really be another V-V," he stoped and sighed, "Voldemort?"  
  
"I don't see why not," Darione said with a grin. "I mean, the Coalition can't catch everyone fooling around with the Dark Arts. But don't worry, they'll catch 'em. Don't need to worry about that."  
  
Cedric wondered about this new evil. Was it really like the man his father had battled? If that was true it could take years to defeat him. It took more than two decades to finally defeat Voldemort. Cedric shivered. Would his dad have to go fight this evil too?  
  
"Don't worry about it," Jade told them. "I'm with Darione. With the Coalition chasing after who ever it is you can be sure that they'll be brought down in no time."  
  
  
  
The group did very little before the Halloween feast. Jade and Cedric helped their friends with their History essays. Darione spent much of the time looking from the book to his parchment and rewording the text. He noticed Cedric watching him. "Don't want to work too hard," he said with a grin and a shrug.  
  
At around six the girls went up into their dorm to get ready for the feast. "Honestly," Darione said. "What do they need to get ready for? Reg Barber isn't going to take a liking to them just because they got all prettied up."  
  
"Girls like to look pretty," Cedric told him. "That is just what girls do."  
  
"My mom never did, 'cept for weddings and such," Darione countered. "Neither did my big sister Athena. I've seen pictures."  
  
The guys all shrugged and left the Gryffindor common room. They walked down to the Great Hall and walked in.  
  
Cedric stared in awe. Pumpkins floated in midair and there were black and orange streamers tossed all over the place. There were all kinds of foods and candies on the tables. Darione took of his hat and crammed it full of all the sweets in could hold then took out his wand, said someting and began stuffing it with more sweets.  
  
Kacey hit him in the arm. "Leave some for other people," she told him. But it really didn't matter. The plates full of candy replenished themselves just as fast as Darione could stuff his hat.  
  
Cedric and the others sat down at the Gyffindor table and messed around. They ate food and candy. When they got tired of that they took streamers, tied Leroy up in them and floated him around the Great Hall while Mark and a couple other Ravenclaws kept his cronies busy. McGonagall gave them a stern look so they let him drop. Cyrus began to laugh from the teachers' table but quickly shut up as McGonagall's look turned to him.  
  
At around 9 o'clock, the stage turned dark and a single spotlight shun in the center. The Great Hall quieted in anticipation. A single cloaked figure walked into the spotlight. "REG BARBER!!!!" a girl screamed from the Hufflepuff table. Darione rolled his eyes.  
  
"I'm only half as stupid as he was in his Hogwarts days," Spock said. "Why aren't girls swooning over me?"  
  
"Sorry to say it, Spocko, but pointy ears and bushy eyebrows are real turn offs," Kacey responded.  
  
"They're not busy!" Spock yelled.  
  
Kacey giggled. "Really?"  
  
  
  
Jade too was giggled and handed him a compact mirror. Spock looked at his reflection and saw that he *did* have big bushy eyebrows as his sister had said. He covered his face. "I'll get you..." he threatened and ran from the Great Hall.  
  
The rest of them burst out laughing. "Wonder how long it'll take him to realize that it was *me* who did it," Darione said.  
  
"Probably not long," Rachel said. "And he'll dish out a prank that'll have you howling for months."  
  
"We're talking about Spock Lupin right?" Darione asked playfully. "He's never delivered a good comeback prank."  
  
"He will this time, if I help him," Jade told him.  
  
Darione smiled. "We'll see... we'll see..."  
  
Reg Barber finished up at around 11 o'clock. The feast was concluded by Professor McGonagall. Weary teachers and sleepy students left the Great Hall. In the huge crowd, no one noticed little Elisa Franklin let out a deep hacking cough. 


	8. Lock Down

A/N: I updated! WOW! Don't forget to Review!  
  
Chapter Eight:  
  
Lock Down  
  
Darione and Cedric walked down to the Great Hall late one Sunday morning. A little more than a month had passed since the Halloween Feast which had a terrible effect on Hogwarts. Reg Barber and his crew had contaminated the school with Witch Casters. Several girls in every house but Slytherin lay in bed sick. Darione and Cedric looked around and noticed that a couple of the older Gryffindor girls were missing from the table.  
  
Cedric spotted Jade and Rachel who were waving at them. "Come on," he said and pulled Darione over to the table.  
  
The two boys sat down with Rachel and Jade. "Where're Spock and Kasey?" Darione asked Jade. "Trying to set up a good come back prank still?"  
  
Jade glared at him. "No," she said harshly. "They're visiting a friend in the Infirmary. She is sick with Witch Casters and isn't doing very good."  
  
"Oh," Darione said and shut up. Darione knew not to say anything else on the matter. None of the Hogwarts students to contract Witch Casters had died yet, but that seemed like it would change soon. None of Cedric's friends had caught it nor had any of their families. Everyone was as frequent contact with family members outside of Hogwarts as they could be.  
  
Mail had been restricted and only Ministry officials and Coalition members could exchange mail. This was good for Jade, Darione and the twins because they fell under those categories.  
  
The group ate in silence. When everyone had finished, Darione tried to start up conversation by asking Jade what classes they had that day. "Same as every Tuesday, Black," she said.  
  
Darione looked at his feet.  
  
Jade apologized to her friend a moment later. Everyone was a bit on edge at the time. Everyone was worried that they'd wake up one morning and discover their friend had been stricken with WC or died of it.  
  
  
  
The day passed quickly. They had History of Magic, DADA, Herbology and Flying lessons that day. But no one really cared what they did. The entire Gryffindor House awaited anxiously for classes to be concluded. This was because it was the only time they could get letters out to their families.  
  
Jade and Darione's mothers wrote everyday to check up on them and Darione's siblings. So they had the Gryffindors write up letters to their families and Jade and Darione would have their parents forward the letters on.  
  
Cedric, Jade, Darione, Zach and Eddie ran up to the Gryffindor common room. Like clock work three owls arrived. One for Jade, one for Darione's clan and one for Spock and Kacey's family. Darione passed the letter around to his brothers, sisters, cousins, nieces and nephews. The twins too passed their letter around to their family.  
  
Cedric watched the large Black family gathered around the firestarter Tyler who was generating light for them all to read by. Cedric wondered about his grandmother but didn't worry much because only magical people had been infected by WC. There was shouting and yelling and Cedric laughed as he saw that Tyler had accidentally lit the corner of the letter on fire.  
  
After several insults and a fire or two, Darione, Jade and the twins began collecting letters into a large bag. Then they gave it to the three owls. The Tower watched the owls fade from view. Everyone hung around the common room for a moment or so and then went about their normal activities.  
  
Darione, Cedric and Eddie left the others down in the common room doing homework. Cedric and Eddie watched as Darione pulled a large plastic bag out from under his bed. It was full of small egg like things.  
  
"What are these?" Eddie asked as he looked one over.  
  
Darione gave a mischievous smile. He handed several of them to Cedric. "These my friends are the ultimate in stink bombs," he told them. "You tap it with your finger once for every minute you want it to wait before going off."  
  
Cedric looked down at them. "What do we do with them?"  
  
"Simple!" Darione shouted. "We set them outside the Slytherin Common and then BOOM!" Darione doubled over laughing. "I can just see their faces."  
  
Eddie coughed hoarsely.  
  
"You okay, Eddie?" Cedric asked his friend.  
  
Eddie nodded. "Yeah... I'm okay," he told him. "Just not feeling too hot today... or rather feeling too hot today."  
  
"That can't be good," Darione said, pointing out the obvious.  
  
Cedric stood up. "Come on, Eddie. You should go to the infirmary."  
  
"Yeah," Darione added. "Madame Rose said for everyone feeling sick to report to the infirmary right away."  
  
Eddie nodded and the three boys left their dormitory. Jade, Kacey, Spock and Zack were doing their homework by the window. Zach got up and ran over to them.  
  
"Jade wants to know where you're going," he said.  
  
Cedric looked over to see Jade watching them curiously. "We're taking Eddie to th-"  
  
"We're going out pranking," Darione said cutting Cedric off.  
  
Zach rolled his eyes and ran back to tell Jade.  
  
Cedric looked at Darione but he only shrugged. "We don't want them all worried about Eddie," he explained. "From what I've learned from my parents, sometimes it is best for people not to know the truth."  
  
Cedric didn't say anything. It only took them a few minutes to reach the infirmary from the Gryffindor Common Room. When the got to it they all recognized a morbid silence. They walked in silently.  
  
The infirmary was crowded with patients and visitors. And everyone was staring at the same place.  
  
Cedric, Darione and Eddie watched along with the others as Madame Rose pulled a white sheet over the face of a little Hufflepuff girl. Everyone watched in shock. A couple of girls her age stood near by crying silent sobs along with someone who looked to be an older sibling of the girl.  
  
The three boys watched the infirmary bed wheeled away. They didn't want to approach either of the nurses or break the silence of the room.  
  
Madame Nugent tapped Darione on the shoulder a few minutes later.  
  
"C-can I help you boys?"  
  
Eddie was pale and Darione found it hard to speak up.  
  
"O-our friend, Eddie here, has a fever, ma'am," Cedric piped up. "Madame Rose said to report sickness right away. So... we are."  
  
The nurse gave them a small smile. "Why don't you two boys go back to your common room and I'll check Eddie over. Okay?"  
  
Darione and Cedric nodded. They said good-bye to Eddie and walked out of the infirmary.  
  
They ran as fast as the could once out of site of the nurses. Neither could believe what they just saw. But it was true. It had happened. One student had been taken by WC... and more were to go. 


	9. The Letter

Chapter Nine:  
  
The Letter  
  
Weeks had passed. Four horrible weeks for the students and staff of Hogwarts. A very unhappy and little celebrated or noticed Christmas had passed. After the little Hufflepuff girl had died, three more girls had followed in the next week. In the next few weeks more had followed. Girls from every house but Slytherin had fallen victim to WC. And just the day before, a Ravenclaw boy died. The first boy in the wizarding world to die of WC.  
  
None of the staff at St. Mungo's could find a cure. It was looking hopeless.  
  
But Cedric hadn't gotten sick. Nor had Jade, Darione, the twins, Zach or any of their families. But nearly a third of the school had fallen victim to the disease. More were being infected and slowly dying. Eddie was sick and things weren't looking good.  
  
Cedric, Darione, Zach and Jade had just come from Transfiguration. The classes were handled differently. Every house of one year now had classes together instead of just two houses. Each classes was taught by three teachers so they could help the many students.  
  
The four went up to the infirmary to see Eddie like they always did after classes. WC effected everyone differently. For Eddie it acted similar to a fever that didn't react to normal fever medicines.  
  
Darione clapped his hand on Eddie's shoulder. "How you doing, Eddie?"  
  
"Alright," he said rather weakly. "Madame Nugent says my fever has dropped a few degrees.  
  
Jade and Cedric both exclaimed, "That's great, Eddie!"  
  
Eddie smiled. "I hope so..." Then he looked at Darione. "Dar? I've got a favor to ask."  
  
"Sure, what ever you need, bud."  
  
Eddie pulled a letter off the table beside him. "Could you send this to my family for me?"  
  
Darione nodded. "Sure thing. Mum'll be writing again soon. I'll send it back with the owl."  
  
"Thanks," Eddie said.  
  
Nurse Rose walked up behind them. "Let's go you four," she said as she turned them around. "Let's let Eddie here rest, shall we?"  
  
The four of them nodded and were about to leave when two boys arrived pulling someone behind them. Cedric was horrified to see that the boy they were pulling was Darione's older brother Everett. He had a cut on his head and was bleeding badly.  
  
"Everett!" Darione yelled and ran to help the two Ravenclaw boys pull his brother onto a bed.  
  
"What happened?" Madame Rose asked the to Raveclaws.  
  
"He... he just collapsed," the first one, who Cedric recognized as Charlie Lupin. The ears were a dead give away for most of the Lupins.  
  
"W-we were walking back from Potions," the other continued. "Said his legs felt funny and then he hit the ground. Cut his head on the ground."  
  
Jade walked over and pulled Darione away. "Come on," she said. "There is nothing you can do here. And I'm sure Charlie will tell us if he is okay..."  
  
But Darione wouldn't move. So the four of them stood there and watched as Madame Rose bandaged Everett's head and examined him. After about twenty minutes she walked over to Darione.  
  
"I'm afraid... I'm afraid your brother has WC," she said.  
  
Darione went pale. Cedric stood in shock. A Black had WC? That meant that Darione could get it. That Darione could die. Or that he himself could get it. Jade too was obviously shocked beyond words.  
  
"It is effecting him in a unique way," she said. "I don't see it to be very life threatening but..."  
  
Darione gulped. "B-but what?"  
  
"Everett may never walk again, Darione," Madame Rose told him. She handed him a letter. "Send this to your mother and father."  
  
Darione just stood shocked. Everett not walk again... it was unthinkable. Everett was always walking or running. He'd been on the track team at his muggle school back home. It was a junior team but people came from all over town to watch his matches.  
  
Cedric, Zach and Jade gave Darione sympathetic looks.  
  
"Come on, Dar," Zach said. "We'll come back later. We'd better go tell the others."  
  
"I'm sure Charlie did," Darione replied.  
  
"Well... if he did they'd be here," Jade quipped.  
  
Darione didn't reply. He turned around and left.  
  
Cedric, Jade and Zach turned to follow but didn't see him anywhere. So the three of them walked back to the Gryffindor Common Room. The saw Charlie and Havien Black fighting with the Fat Lady.  
  
"She won't let us in to tell everyone that Everett is sick!" Havien exclaimed when he saw them.  
  
Jade muttered the password and the painting reluctantly swung over. The three first years and the Ravenclaw older Ravenclaws walked into the Common Room.  
  
Memebers of both Darione and Charlie's families walked over. Ari Lupin walked over to her brother with a quizzical look and one of the firestartes, Bennett Black, asked, "What is?"  
  
Havien stood on one of the couches so everyone could see him (he was crowded by seventeen people of all ages). "Everyone, Everett... Madame Rose just diagnosed Everett with Witch Casters," he said.  
  
Head Girl Lily Black and her younger sister Casilda both started to cry silently.  
  
Rachel was related to Darione through her grandmother who was Darione's mother's little sister. "Is... Is he going to be okay?"  
  
"No," Darione told her as he walke up from behind them. "Madame Rose said that he'll never walk again."  
  
Cedric explained, "It doesn't look like he is going to die. But Madame Rose said he may never walk again."  
  
Aragorn Strider was there now. "I'm going up to see him," he annoucned. "We won't all fit at once... we'll take turns... Cassi, Lily, Havien and I'll go first... then we send four more..."  
  
Cedric saw Darione walk up to his dormatory.  
  
"I'll be back," he said to Jade and Zach. Then he walked up to the first year dormatory.  
  
Darione was sitting on his bed. Cedric saw tears coming from his eyes. "I figured... if anyone was safe it was Everett," he said knowing that Cedric was behind him. "He is probably the best of us. Smartest, fastest, healtiest..."  
  
"He'll be okay," Cedric said.  
  
Darione shook his head. "Knowing he is up there means I might be next. What if I *am* next, Cedric? I don't want to die. I though... us Blacks, we're invincible. Nothing could hurt us. Now I know stupid I was."  
  
Cedric didn't say anything. But then Darione pointed to Cedric's bed. "Look. You've got mail."  
  
Cedric looked to see as letter on his bed. He walked over curiously. It was a plain white envelope (save for several small tears and smudges of dirt) with CEDRIC POTTER written on it.  
  
"Who's it from?" Darione asked.  
  
"I dunno..." Cedric said. He broke the seal on the back and pulled out a letter.  
  
  
  
Dear Mr. Cedric Potter,  
  
I've heard of you, as have many, through the exploits of your father.  
  
You are no doubt aware of the Witch Caster Disease that has spread  
  
through out the world. I've come across a cure, Mr. Potter. I, however,  
  
do not have access to it. But you do.  
  
Salazar Slytherin was agains the bringing of muggle born wizards and  
  
witches to Hogwarts. In retaliaton he concocted a disease thad would  
  
kill witches of muggle birth. This was to keep them from polluting the  
  
pure bloodlines of the time. It was then made to mutate to wizards.  
  
It was never released until now. The Void has released it, Cedric. The  
  
only cure is in the Chamber of Secrets. Go to the Chamber.  
  
  
  
Then scrawled quickly at the bottom: Use your parseltounge inheritance to enter.  
  
Cedric noticed the note was crumpled a bit like the person had been hastily placed into the envelope and mailed. He handed the note to Darione who read it.  
  
"Chamber of Secrets... I know where that is!" Darione exclaimed. "And parseltounge... Blimey! You *would* inherit that from your dad, I'm sure."  
  
"Parseltounge...."  
  
"You can talk to snakes," Darione told him.  
  
"I can?"  
  
Darione nodded. "I'll bet... come on. I know where this place is. Dad told me. Also told me that if I went anywhere near it he'd personally see to it that I was expelled... Let's go!"  
  
Cedric shrugged. Darione's mind was off his brother's condition and that was good. The two of them bounded down to the Common Room.  
  
Rachel saw them and ran over to them with tears in her eyes. "Zach just collapsed, Cedric," she cried. "They took him to the infirmary. Kacey and Spock went with him. Cedric, he looked really bad."  
  
"He wasn't sick a moment ago!" Cedric shouted.  
  
Jade came over to them. "Madame Nugent said he has been sick for awhile... no one noticed... it wasn't anything as noticeable as Ev- anyone else's sickness."  
  
Darione told them, "Well... we know where to find the cure!"  
  
Jade stared at him. "You're kidding."  
  
"No! Look!" Cedric shouted and handed her the letter.  
  
Jade and Rachel both read the letter.  
  
"You're a Parseltounge?"  
  
"I guess so," Cedric said.  
  
"Well? What are we waiting for?" Darione asked.  
  
The four of them looked at each other for a moment and seemed to all make up their minds at the same time. They ran out of the Gryffindor Common Room and headed for the Chamber of Secrets.  
  
  
  
A/N: Don't forget to Review! 


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